EUDR and the Future of Furniture Imports: How ASKT Ensures Traceability, Compliance, and Sustainability

Introduction

The global furniture industry is entering a decisive moment. With the European Union’s new Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) set to reshape the way wood-based products are sourced and sold, every player in the supply chain is being asked to meet higher standards of responsibility and transparency. For importers, wholesalers, and retailers across Europe, the challenge is not only to adapt to new legal requirements but also to safeguard brand trust and long-term growth.

At ASKT, we see this transition not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity. Since our founding in 2015, we have committed ourselves to building a business defined by quality, integrity, and innovation. Today, every dining chair we manufacture is supported by complete traceability documentation for its wood, complemented by zero-plastic packaging, OEKO-TEX® certified fabrics, and BSCI-certified production. In other words, we are ready to help our partners face the new regulatory landscape with confidence.

In this article, I will share my perspective on what the EUDR means for the furniture industry, why many businesses still feel unprepared, and how ASKT’s forward-looking approach ensures that compliance, sustainability, and design excellence go hand in hand.

1. Understanding the EUDR: What It Means for Furniture Buyers

The EUDR — short for EU Deforestation Regulation — was officially adopted in 2023 as part of the European Union’s Green Deal. Its core mission is simple yet ambitious: to prevent products linked to deforestation from entering the European market.

For the furniture industry, this is a watershed moment. Wood has always been at the heart of our craft, but now every plank, every veneer, and every finished dining chair must come with proof of its legal and sustainable origin. Let’s break down what this means in practice.

The compliance timeline

• As of September 25, 2025, we are approaching the EUDR’s revised application dates: December 30, 2025 for large and medium operators and June 30, 2026 for small and micro enterprises.

• The European Commission has also proposed an additional one-year postponement, currently under discussion. Even with this extension, many suppliers outside the EU remain unprepared.

The traceability requirement

This is where the EUDR raises the bar. Importers and manufacturers must provide detailed geolocation data for the origin of the wood used in their products. It’s not enough to say “sourced from Asia” or “from certified suppliers.” The regulation requires precise proof that the wood does not come from deforested land after December 2020.

Due diligence obligations

Every buyer and importer will need to conduct due diligence, which includes:

1. Collecting information on suppliers, wood species, and country of harvest.

2. Assessing the risk of deforestation.

3. Taking measures to mitigate that risk.

For buyers, this means more paperwork, more questions, and more responsibility. It also means that choosing the right supplier is no longer just about price or design — it’s about compliance.

The risks of non-compliance

If a supplier cannot provide the necessary documentation, the consequences are severe:

• Customs delays: shipments can be held at EU borders.

• Financial penalties: fines can reach up to 4% of annual EU turnover.

• Reputational damage: in an era of conscious consumers, being associated with illegal logging could harm a retailer’s brand permanently.

Why this matters to buyers now

The regulation might still feel “in transition,” but the reality is that supply chains take months — sometimes years — to adjust. Buyers who wait until late 2025 to check compliance will find themselves scrambling. Those who act now, by securing relationships with compliant suppliers, will enjoy a competitive advantage.

From my perspective, the EUDR is not just a regulation. It is a wake-up call for our industry to align business with sustainability. And for buyers, it is an opportunity to partner with manufacturers who can deliver both compliance and creativity.

2. The Industry’s Concerns: Why Buyers Feel Uncertain

In recent months, I’ve spoken with many partners across Europe — from wholesalers in Germany to retailers in the Netherlands and Poland. One topic dominates our conversations: uncertainty about the EUDR.

The concerns are real, and they are shared across the industry:

1. The timeline feels tight. Even with the postponement to late 2025 and mid-2026, many smaller suppliers in Asia and Eastern Europe still lack proper compliance systems.

2. The rules are complex. Importers still ask: what exactly counts as “deforestation-free”? How precise must the geolocation data be? Even national authorities are clarifying the fine print.

3. Documentation gaps. Some suppliers can show invoices or general origin statements, but lack the detailed traceability the EU now demands.

4. Fear of losing competitiveness. Buyers worry that ensuring full compliance will increase costs — and that if competitors cut corners, they might lose market share.

I recently read an article from möbelmarkt highlighting the Austrian wood industry’s concerns. Their message was clear: urgent action is needed, but many businesses feel left in the dark. They are calling on governments and the EU for more clarity, but the deadline is not moving.

I understand these frustrations. For more than 15 years, I’ve worked between Europe and Asia. I’ve seen how quickly regulations can overwhelm smaller manufacturers, and how buyers are often caught in the middle.

But here is the truth: waiting will not make the EUDR easier. If anything, it will make compliance more painful. This is why ASKT has taken proactive steps to ensure that when the deadline arrives, our partners are not scrambling — they are already compliant.

3. ASKT’s Commitment to Traceability: Wood with a Clear Origin

When I founded ASKT in 2015, I wanted to do more than build a furniture company. I wanted to create a business that could stand proudly in any showroom in Europe — not only for its design, but for its responsibility. That’s why, long before the EUDR became law, we invested in traceability systems for every piece of wood we use.

Complete documentation for every dining chair

Today, every ASKT dining chair comes with full traceability documentation for its wooden components. From the moment raw wood enters our factory to the moment a finished chair leaves our warehouse, its journey is tracked and recorded.

Our system includes:

• Supplier verification: We only work with trusted wood suppliers who provide legal and sustainable sourcing documents.

• Digital records: Each batch of wood is logged in our internal system, making it easy to provide buyers with immediate documentation when needed.

• Third-party standards: Our factories hold ISO9001 certification for quality management and comply with internationally recognized sustainability standards.

When a German buyer asks me for proof of origin, I can show them the complete chain of custody — not in weeks, but in hours. That peace of mind is priceless.

Why this matters to our partners

For European buyers, traceability is no longer a “nice to have.” It is a legal obligation. By partnering with ASKT, our buyers can:

• Pass customs checks without fear of delays.

• Avoid fines and reputational risks.

• Strengthen their own brand image by marketing truly sustainable products.

Going beyond compliance

Traceability is the foundation, but compliance is not our only goal. At ASKT, we believe sustainability must extend to the entire product:

• Zero-plastic packaging reduces plastic tax exposure and improves logistics efficiency.

• Sustainable fabrics — including OEKO-TEX® certified and recycled-bottle textiles — meet consumer expectations for eco-friendly living.

• BSCI-certified factories ensure our workers are safe, fairly treated, and protected with formaldehyde-free glues.

This holistic approach means that when a buyer chooses ASKT, they are not just choosing compliance. They are choosing a partner who helps them tell a powerful story of responsibility, quality, and innovation.

4. Beyond Wood: How ASKT Helps Buyers Stay Ahead of All Sustainability Regulations

When buyers ask me whether EUDR compliance will make procurement harder, my answer is honest: it makes procurement stricter, not harder—provided you work with the right partner. At ASKT, we built our compliance framework around the whole product, not just the wood certificate. That is why our dining chairs move through customs smoothly and resonate with consumers who care about how things are made.

Zero-plastic packaging that lowers risk and costs

Long before plastic taxes started pinching European margins, we began redesigning our protective packaging. We swapped out plastic films for honeycomb paper, replaced plastic tapes with paper tape, and moved to recyclable paper-based solutions for outer protection. The results were immediate: lower exposure to plastic-related levies, fewer compliance headaches at the border, and faster handling in warehouses thanks to simpler disposal. Internally, we have measured average packaging cost reductions of ~15% and logistics efficiency gains of ~30% after switching to paper-first solutions.

Safer textiles consumers can trust

Fabric is where a dining chair succeeds or fails. We invest the same rigor into textiles that we do into wood traceability. Our standard program centers on OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100–certified fabrics, vetted for harmful substances and suitable for family homes. We also run abrasion, color fastness, and breathability testing in our lab, and we offer options made from recycled PET bottles. These are not box-ticking exercises—they’re what allow retailers to market chairs as child-friendly, pet-friendly, and genuinely low-maintenance.

Ethical manufacturing and worker safety

A compliant supply chain is also a human supply chain. Our factories meet BSCI social responsibility standards. Operators handling glue work with appropriate PPE, and the adhesives we use are formaldehyde-free. Structured onboarding ensures every worker is trained before they touch the line. This discipline shows up in the product: consistent assembly, consistent finish, consistent safety.

Quality systems that make compliance repeatable

EUDR due diligence will require buyers to request documents repeatedly, not just once. Our ISO 9001–based procedures capture batch-level data for materials, so providing a chain-of-custody pack is fast and predictable. Pair that with our in-house testing equipment—impact, static load, seat/back durability—and you have a product dossier that satisfies procurement, customs, and customer service in one go.

In short, our approach goes beyond “passing the audit.” It creates a documented, testable, story of responsibility your brand can tell—on product pages, in catalogues, and at trade fairs—without the nagging fear of a missing certificate.

5. The ASKT Advantage: Why Group Buyers and Retailers Can Rely on Us

European buyers do not just need a supplier; they need a risk manager. Here is what that looks like in practice at ASKT.

1) Wood you can trace—quickly

Every ASKT dining chair ships with complete traceability documentation for its wood components. If you need geolocation-backed origin data and the due-diligence pack aligned to the EUDR templates, we can produce it rapidly, at batch level.

2) Design agility with lower inventory risk

Our KINEXA™ quick-connect system lets buyers mix shells, fabrics, and bases within one pricing logic. You can build a broad assortment from a compact SKU base—great for meeting MOQs without overstocking. It also creates a natural upsell flow: let the consumer fall in love with a fabric, then show them alternative base styles at the same price point.

3) Capacity and consistency

We equip our lines with automation where it helps—CNC cutting for fabric, automated punching for wood parts, and robotic welding for metal frames—so your second replenishment looks and performs like the first. This is how we keep lead times sharp and price-performance compelling while maintaining the documentation discipline that EUDR expects.

4) Packaging engineered for the last mile

Our paper-first, plastic-free protection is not only greener; it is faster to process in 3PL hubs and simpler to recycle for end customers. That improves NPS and reduces the silent costs buyers often ignore: claims, carrier surcharges for waste, and warehouse slowdowns.

5) Credibility you can point to

In 2025, our brand and leadership were featured in leading German trade media, recognizing our product development and manufacturing standards. That third-party validation helps your sales team justify why an ASKT chair merits the space on your floor or the position on your homepage.

6. Preparing for the Future: How Buyers Can Act Now

The EUDR will not wait, and neither should you. Here are practical steps I recommend every buyer take now:

1. Audit your suppliers. Ask whether they can provide geolocation-backed documentation for wood origin. If the answer is vague, consider that a risk.

2. Standardize your due diligence pack. Make sure every order includes species, country of harvest, origin coordinates, and supplier risk assessments.

3. Consolidate sourcing. Working with fewer, better-prepared suppliers saves time and reduces compliance uncertainty.

4. Use sustainability as a sales driver. Don’t just meet the law—promote the fact that your chairs use OEKO-TEX® fabrics, recycled materials, and plastic-free packaging.

5. Plan ahead. Build EUDR compliance into your Q4 2025 and 2026 assortments now. Avoid last-minute surprises at the port.

By moving early, you turn regulation into differentiation. You show your customers—whether retailers, distributors, or end consumers—that your brand is trustworthy and future-ready.

Conclusion: A Message from Sunbin Qi

The EUDR should not be seen as a burden. It should be seen as an opportunity to raise the standards of our industry. Yes, it demands more paperwork, more discipline, and more transparency. But it also rewards those who prepare—with smoother logistics, stronger brand equity, and the confidence of consumers who want to know that their furniture was made responsibly.

At ASKT, we are not scrambling to catch up—we are already there. Every chair we produce comes with complete traceability documentation for its wood, sustainable packaging, certified fabrics, and ethical manufacturing.

So my message is simple: if you want peace of mind on traceability, compliance, and sustainability, ASKT is your partner. Together, we can turn regulatory compliance into a competitive edge, and build a furniture industry that future generations will thank us for.