Responsible timber imports strengthen supply

Canfor and Vida emphasise responsible forestry

The major importers are working to keep their commitment to certified renewable and
sustainable supply front of mind with their partners.

Australia’s timber industry depends on a balanced combination of locally produced and responsibly sourced imported wood products to meet the demands of a growing construction, manufacturing, and housing sector.

As expectations around supply chain transparency continue to increase, it has never been more important for importers, distributors, and end-users to understand where their timber comes from and the standards that support its journey from forest to market. Companies such as Canfor and Vida demonstrate that imported timber can play a critical role in Australia’s supply chain while providing confidence through internationally recognised certification, traceability systems, and responsible forest management practices. Australia’s Illegal Logging Prohibition Act (ILPA) requires importers to undertake due diligence and assess the risk of illegally harvested timber entering the market, reinforcing the importance of sourcing from trusted suppliers with robust governance and verification processes.

With this in mind, the companies have produced a letter that is being sent out to industry partners, as well as reproduced on their social media platforms. It reads:

Dear Valued Partner,

When you choose wood products from Canfor and Vida, you are choosing more than a high-quality product. You are choosing a renewable raw material sourced from some of the world’s most productive and responsibly managed forests.
Across Canada, the US South and Sweden, the forests that supply our operations are diverse, as are the ways they are owned and managed. What connects them is a long-term commitment to healthy, productive forests and responsible forestry.
In Canada, the large majority of forests are publicly owned and managed under provincial regulatory frameworks. Our forest tenures carry responsibilities for planning, harvesting, regeneration and environmental stewardship, and are certified to internationally recognised standards. Chain of Custody programs provide traceability from our mills back to the forest of origin.
In the United States, much of the timberland is privately owned, the majority by families who have managed their forests across generations. Favourable growing conditions support productive forests and a continuous cycle of growing, harvesting and replanting. Through our Fibre Sourcing program, we work with landowners and suppliers to promote responsible forestry.
In Sweden, forestry has shaped communities and livelihoods for generations. Vida works closely with private forest owners across southern Sweden to support long-term forest management and regeneration. International certifications provide traceability from responsibly managed forests through to finished wood products.
Across all three regions, our approach is rooted in the same principle: forests are a long-term resource. Responsible forestry means supporting regeneration, protecting water and soil, considering biodiversity and working with the people and communities who rely on forests.
For our customers, this means confidence in both the product and its source:
• High-quality wood
• A diverse and reliable supply network
• Renewable products backed by responsible forestry and globally recognised certification standards
We are proud of the forests we depend on, the people who care for them and the products they make possible. Thank you for your trust and partnership.

Jacinta Colley, sales director at Vida Wood Australia, said, “Australia will continue to rely on imported timber products to complement domestic supply and support the ongoing needs of the housing, construction and manufacturing sectors. The critical consideration for customers is having confidence not only in the quality of the product they purchase, but also in the integrity of the supply chain behind it.

“At Vida Wood Australia, supported by Canfor’s global forestry operations, we have made a long-term commitment to the Australian market. Through our extensive network of warehousing, treatment facilities, port infrastructure, and distribution capabilities across the country, we have invested in ensuring our customers have reliable access to consistent, high-quality timber products when and where they need them.”

Colley pointed out that these assurances of sustainability and high quality were all backed up by Australia’s stringent systems around transparent and trusted supply chains, adherence to Australian Standards and other third-party certifiers.

“Our customers can be confident that the products we supply are supported by robust due diligence processes, internationally recognised certification systems, and comprehensive traceability throughout the supply chain. We believe responsible sourcing, transparency and accountability are fundamental to maintaining trust in our industry and meeting the expectations of Australian businesses,” she said.

“As a supplier to the Australian market, our commitment extends beyond simply importing timber. We are investing in the infrastructure, people and systems that provide long-term supply security and confidence for our customers. By combining global scale with local expertise and capability, Vida Wood Australia and Canfor remain committed to being a trusted and dependable partner to the Australian timber industry for years to come.”

MAIN PIC: Vida Wood Australia’s warehousing, treatment, and port operations form a critical part of the company’s commitment to the Australian timber market.
All images: supplied