ISO 38200-2018 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 38200:2018 — Chain of custody of wood and wood-based products. This International Standard specifies requirements for a chain of custody (CoC) system for wood, wood-based products, cork and lignified materials other than wood (for example bamboo) and their products. It defines input categories, minimum input requirements, traceability controls and output declaration rules to enable tracking of material from source to finished product across the supply chain.

Abstract

ISO 38200 establishes a CoC control system to track and handle material throughout parts or the entirety of the supply chain (transport, receipt, production, sale, resale and output declaration). The standard is applicable to material originating from different input categories and from a range of processing methods; it is not a forest-management standard. The document includes minimum input requirements, risk assessment and mitigation, internal audit guidance and illustrative annexes.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard, confirmed at review).
• Publication date: October 2018 (corrected French version May 2019).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 79.020 (Wood and timber products).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2018).
• Number of pages: 28 pages.

Key bibliographic and lifecycle details above are taken from the ISO catalogue record for ISO 38200:2018.

Scope

ISO 38200 applies to chain of custody arrangements for wood, wood-based products, cork and other lignified materials (e.g., bamboo) and covers material that may be derived from different input categories and processing routes. The standard focuses on establishing controls, records and declarations that allow organizations to demonstrate the origin and category of input material and to make consistent output declarations; it does not set requirements for forest management certification.

Key topics and requirements

• Requirements for a management system and documented procedures to manage CoC and input acceptance (due diligence, verification and record keeping).
• Input material categories and minimum requirements for each category (e.g., specified material, verified material, recycled material, others).
• Risk assessment and mitigation procedures for determining whether input material can be accepted as low risk; documentation of indicators and mitigation measures.
• Chain of custody control methods: physical separation, percentage methods (single percentage and rolling average percentage) and a credit method — with rules for calculating outputs and declarations.
• Output information requirements, product/category declarations and permitted use of marks/trademarks linked to CoC status.
• Annexes and guidance covering social and environmental aspects, internal audits, examples of CoC methods and examples of specified material.

Typical use and users

Manufacturers, processors, traders, importers and distributors of wood and wood-based products use ISO 38200 to implement traceability and due-diligence controls in their supply chains. Certification and conformity bodies, procurement teams, sustainability managers and auditors also reference the standard when designing or verifying CoC systems, or when aligning product declarations and supply‑chain documentation. Several conformity assessment bodies offer certification or verification services against ISO 38200.

Related standards

ISO 38200 is used alongside other chain-of-custody and sustainability schemes and regulatory frameworks. Commonly referenced documents and systems include national and private CoC schemes (for example FSC and PEFC chain-of-custody standards), ISO 22095 / general chain-of-custody guidance, and regulatory frameworks addressing timber legality and deforestation risk. ISO has also developed committee work to map and provide guidance between ISO 38200 and the EU Deforestation Regulation (gap-analysis / guidance work) and third‑party verification bodies reference ISO 38200 when assessing EUDR-related CoC capabilities.

Keywords

chain of custody, CoC, wood, wood-based products, traceability, due diligence, input categories, percentage method, credit method, physical separation, ISO 38200, bamboo, cork, verification.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 38200:2018 is an International Standard that sets out requirements and guidance for a chain of custody system for wood and wood-based products (including cork and other lignified materials such as bamboo).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers rules for accepting input materials, conducting risk assessment and mitigation, implementing CoC control methods (physical separation, percentage and credit methods), record keeping, output declarations and related internal controls and audits. The standard is intended to enable traceability from input categories to finished products.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Companies across the wood supply chain — producers, processors, manufacturers, traders, importers and retailers — plus certification bodies and auditors who verify CoC implementation. Sustainability and procurement teams often use ISO 38200 as a framework for internal CoC systems and product declarations.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 38200:2018 is the published edition (Edition 1, October 2018) and has been maintained in ISO’s catalogue; committee work and related guidance documents have been produced since publication. At the time of writing the standard remains the active ISO CoC standard for wood-based products, and a draft amendment addressing multi-site implementation has been progressed in ISO/TC 287.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: ISO 38200 is a stand‑alone International Standard focused on CoC for wood and wood‑based products under ISO/TC 287. It is commonly used in combination with other CoC standards and sector-specific guidance (for example FSC/PEFC CoC standards and ISO chain-of-custody guidance) and ISO committee work has produced related technical reports and drafts that link ISO 38200 to regulatory frameworks.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: chain of custody; traceability; wood; wood-based products; cork; bamboo; input categories; percentage method; credit method; physical separation; due diligence; output declaration.