Posted 14/09/2026

Scrutiny of Russian-origin timber entering Australia through third countries has moved further into the political spotlight, with a motion before the House of Representatives calling for the existing 35% tariff to extend to products containing Russian timber, regardless of where they are processed.

The move follows recommendations from a Senate committee to address routes allowing Russian goods to enter Australia through third countries, alongside industry moves towards potential anti-dumping action on laminated veneer lumber (LVL) manufactured in China.

In its latest reporting on the issue, Wood Central examines this growing government and industry response, including the challenge of establishing the true origin of timber once it has been processed in another country. The coverage points to Source Certain’s independent testing for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, which found that 37 of 74 imported timber products sampled did not match the country, species or genus declared in their documentation, while all domestic samples tested were accurately labelled.

As attention turns to how high-risk timber can be identified within increasingly complex trade routes, independent origin verification provides evidence beyond paperwork to establish where timber entering Australian supply chains really comes from.

Read the full article on Wood Central.