Understanding the Impact of the EUDR on North American Foresters

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), effective as of December 30, 2025, introduces strict requirements for companies exporting forest-linked products, including wood, pulp, biofuel, and recycled paper, into the EU market. This regulation applies globally, regardless of the origin of the products, and mandates that companies demonstrate their goods are not linked to deforestation. For North American foresters and heating plants, the EUDR introduces compliance requirements and sets out a significant risk of operational disruption if appropriate traceability systems are not implemented in time.

ConiferSoft offers two specialized platforms—YardManager and BioBiz—that support compliance with evolving regulatory demands. YardManager enables precise, real-time tracking of wood movements within mill yards, maintaining a verifiable chain of custody from gate entry to processing. Each load is linked to EUDR reference numbers, ensuring traceability and auditability throughout internal handling. BioBiz is for heating and biofuel products, offering complete visibility of biofuel procurement, delivery, and consumption. BioBiz continuously monitors and records supply chain inputs, delivery volumes, supplier data, and fuel level, ensuring traceability and compliance with EUDR standards. Together, the systems form a complete traceability framework that aligns with EUDR standards and supports accurate operations and reliable data management.

EUDR Compliance Requirements

For North American foresters, the regulation introduces the following key requirements:

• Supply Chain Traceability: Companies must trace forest-based raw materials to their origin and ensure they are not sourced from deforested land.

• Due Diligence: Wood exporters must maintain auditable records confirming deforestation-free sourcing throughout all the entire materials.

• Geolocation Reporting: All sourcing locations must be precisely mapped and tied to outgoing shipment data to ensure traceability and compliance.

• Documentation and Reporting: Companies must maintain and submit compliance documentation, including evaluation statements, for EU market access.

Each EU member state will enforce these standards independently, and the intensity of enforcement actions will vary by the authority.

Challenges for North American Foresters

Manual Tracking Limitations

Manual recordkeeping is insufficient to meet EUDR's traceability demands. Any discrepancy in recorded versus actual material origins or volumes can create a compliance risk and may lead to disruptions in EU market access.

Operational Impacts

Without a modern traceability system:

• Mills may be unable to link wood sources to EUDR reference numbers.

• Inaccurate stock data can delay processing workflows and negatively affect material condition.

• Incomplete documentation may lead to shipment rejections and trigger regulatory audits, resulting in operational burden.

ConiferSoft Compliance Tools: YardManager and BioBiz

YardManager: A Mill’s Digital Twin

YardManager provides comprehensive traceability across mill yards ensuring that all material movements are digitally recorded, verifiable, and compliant with the EUDR.

How YardManager supports EUDR Compliance:

• Detecting
  Yard Manager detects all wood movements from gate entry to the debarker, with each load digitally linked to its associated EUDR reference number for traceability.

• Data Integration
  Yard Manager integrates with existing operational and inventory management systems to enable effective data analysis and reporting.

• Tracking
  Yard Manager tracks wood across all handling points within the yard, linking all the data to the initial load EUDR reference number for compliance.

• Operational Analytics
  Yard Manager provides essential data on stock levels, consumption and wood movements to ensure EUDR compliance and efficiency.

BioBiz: Traceable Biofuel for Heating and Power Plants

BioBiz is an innovative solution for industries generating heat or electricity from forest-based biofuel directly regulated under the EUDR due to its link to deforestation. It automates traceability and supplier verification processes, enabling organizations to meet the EUDR’s strict compliance standards across the biofuel supply chain.

How BioBiz supports EUDR Compliance:

• Deforestation-Free Source Verification
  BioBiz tracks data for each biofuel load and verifies it against supplier information. This ensures that all biofuel inputs are deforestation-free, as required under EUDR standards.

• Real-Time Inventory Tracking
  BioBiz maintain up-to-date records on delivery volumes, fuel level and quality to support transparent and traceable operations, essential for EUDR reporting.

• Digitized Documentation
  BioBiz streamlines manual logs and excel spreadsheets with structured records that align with EUDR documentation and reporting requirements.

• Supplier Accountability
  It enhances traceability by authenticating supplier data at the point of delivery, ensuring standards are met before material is accepted.

• Inventory Reconciliation
  It facilitates Biofuel inventory volumes with precision and enables its reconciliation while supporting EUDR documentation and audits.

Strategic Value of Early Adoption

With the EUDR enforcement date approaching, now is the time for North American foresters to modernize operations and digitize their compliance systems.

ConiferSoft’s YardManager and BioBiz offers solutions to simplify and follow EUDR compliance without adding operational burden. Both systems replace manual documentation with structured, auditable records and streamline compliance processes needed to maintain EUDR compliance. As the enforcement deadline is approaching, the implementation of such systems is essential for maintaining EU market access and minimizing regulatory risk.