Strengthening transparency: No FSC Sales feature in FSC Search

FSC has introduced a new feature in FSC Public Search to ensure that certified supply chains remain credible and trustworthy. The newly introduced ‘No FSC Sales’ feature identifies certificate holders who have reported to not have sold any products with FSC claims during a specified evaluation period.  

Publishing this ‘No FSC Sales’ information delivers on the Advice Note on Public disclosure of ‘no FSC sales’ published in October 2025.

Prior to introducing this new feature, information on certificate holders’ declarations about not selling any FSC-certified materials was only visible to their certification bodies. By making this information publicly available since January 2026, FSC aims to strengthen certificate holders’ supplier verification and due diligence processes. This information will also help them to identify potential discrepancies between declared ‘No FSC Sales’ periods and related sales documentation. 

What a ‘No FSC Sales’ declaration means 

1. It reflects a past activity. Certification bodies audit the reported sales activities of their certificate holders at the end of each year, which is known as the evaluation period. Thus, the ‘No FSC sales’ declaration only applies to sales activity in a specific past evaluation period which has been verified by the certification body.
2. It can occur for legitimate reasons. On its own, it is not an indication of wrongdoing.
3. It refers to a specific period of time. The timeframe of the evaluation period when a certificate holder declared no sale of FSC-certified materials is mentioned in their Certificate Details page in FSC Public Search under ‘No FSC Sales since last audit’.
4. It does not describe current activity. Certificate holders may resume selling FSC certified products after the relevant audit cycle. Hence it does not indicate whether the certificate holder is currently selling certified products. 

How to access ‘No FSC Sales’ information 

A step-wise description of how to access this new feature is provided below. 

The search results will display a list of certificate holders who declared ‘No FSC Sales’ in their previous audit. The Certificate Details page of a specific certificate holder listed in the search results displays the ‘No FSC Sales’ related information towards the bottom of the page.  

What FSC is doing to address integrity risks 

Recent integrity investigations, including the Eurasia Integrity Workplan and the bamboo‑based toilet paper case, revealed a connection between cases of ‘No FSC Sales’ declarations and integrity risks like fraudulent behaviour and false claims.  

When a certificate holder declares that they made ‘No FSC sales’, it makes them eligible for an on-site audit waiver. Without an on-site visit, the certification body may not be able to identify potential irregularities which pose risk to the integrity of certified supply chains.  

FSC’s actions: 

• By making the names of the certificate holders who declared ‘No FSC sales’ in the previous audit publicly available, FSC is addressing this integrity risk at a systemic level. FSC certified companies are equipped with verified information to use for their material sourcing and internal compliance processes and to help facilitate transparent dialogue amongst trading partners.
• FSC has also implemented other targeted integrity measures, such as removing the audit waiver for certified bamboo traders and certificate holders with sawn solid wood, veneer, and wood panels in their certification scope in China. 

 Together, these measures are strengthening FSC’s ability to identify potential risks earlier and encourage stronger and proactive due diligence by certificate holders.  

How certificate holders can use this feature 

FSC encourages certificate holders and their trading partners to use this information to strengthen risk assessment and supplier verification efforts, thereby supporting the credibility and integrity of FSC‑certified supply chains. 

If an FSC-certified trading partner has a ‘No FSC sales’ activity record on their FSC Public Search profile: 

• Certificate holders can contact the supplier directly to confirm whether the declaration still applies to the current audit period before completing a purchase.
• If the supplier sold products during the period indicated as ‘No FSC sales’ or provides inconsistent information and raises concerns, FSC encourages certificate holders to report this to FSC with relevant supporting documentation, for further review and guidance using this link.