No FSC material from Russia and Belarus until the invasion ends

Because of the association of the forest sector in Russia and Belarus with armed invasion, no FSC-certified material or controlled wood from these countries will be permitted to be traded.

FSC remains deeply concerned about Russia’s aggressive invasion of Ukraine and stands in solidarity with all victims of this violence. With full commitment to FSC’s mission and standards, and after a thorough analysis of the potential impact of withdrawal of FSC certification, the FSC International Board of Directors has agreed to suspend all trading certificates in Russia and Belarus and to block all controlled wood sourcing from the two countries.

On top of that, all certificates in Belarus will have to be terminated as a result of the decision by Assurance Services International (ASI) to exclude the country from the scope of all certification bodies due to the inability to credibly assess conformance with certain FSC social requirements based on International Labour Organization (ILO).

This means that all certificates in Russia and Belarus that allow the sale or promotion of FSC products are suspended or terminated. In addition, all sourcing of controlled forest products from the two countries is blocked. This means that once this suspension and blockage becomes effective, wood and other forest products can no longer be sourced as FSC-certified or controlled from Russia and Belarus for their inclusion in FSC products anywhere in the world.

FSC will continue to closely monitor the situation and is ready to take additional measures to protect the integrity of its system. 

“All our thoughts are with Ukraine and its people, and we share their hopes for a return to peace. We also express our sympathy with those people in Belarus and Russia who do not want this war,” said FSC Director General, Kim Carstensen.

For technical details and a clarification of the measures for organizations in Russia and Belarus, visit this page.

For more details and clarity on FSC’s decision, please download the FAQ below.