2026-08-18 • 5 min read • Author: Arina Öström
Ukraine has large hardwood resources — oak, ash, beech, hornbeam — and many sawmills and wood processors that already work with European customers. For Swedish companies in stairs, flooring, furniture and joinery this can mean a stable supply of species that are harder to source locally.
But in practice, the first order decides whether the cooperation continues. Here are the points we recommend checking before you place it.
Species, thickness, width, length range, grade, moisture content, and whether lengths are fixed or random. Ask which grading rules the supplier uses (for oak and beech, EN 975-1 is common in Europe) and ask for photos of each grade — not only of the best boards.
For joinery and stairs, kiln-dried timber is usually required. Ask what moisture content the supplier guarantees, how it is measured, whether they have their own kilns, and how the wood is protected during transport.
The company that places wood on the EU market is responsible for due diligence on where the timber comes from. EU rules in this area are being tightened (the EUDR is replacing the EUTR), so check which requirements apply to your product and from when. Ask the supplier early what origin documents and data they can provide. FSC or PEFC certificates help — but check the certificate number in the public database.
Total sawmill capacity says little. Ask how many cubic metres per month they can deliver of exactly your specification, and which other export customers they supply (country and product are enough, names are not needed).
Ask directly where production is located, how the company handles power outages, which logistics routes it uses, and how it dealt with disruptions over the past year. A serious supplier answers concretely, without general reassurances.
Agree on Incoterms from the start: FCA (you arrange transport from Ukraine) or DAP (the supplier delivers to your address). Road transport via Poland is a common route. Make sure the price includes export packaging and has a clear validity period.
Goods of Ukrainian origin can benefit from preferential treatment under the EU–Ukraine free trade agreement (DCFTA), but only with correct proof of origin — an EUR.1 certificate or an origin declaration. Make sure the supplier knows how to issue it, and confirm the details with your forwarder or customs broker.
A sample shows quality. A trial order shows everything else: communication, documents, packaging and delivery time. Agree in writing what happens if goods deviate from the specification — before the truck leaves.
We help Swedish companies find and pre-screen Ukrainian sawmills and wood processors, clarify specifications in the supplier's own language, collect documents and coordinate samples and the first delivery. [Read more about supplier search](/sourcing/).