EUDR seen as opportunity for US biomass exporters to tighten up digital traceability

In North Carolina, ResourceWise says that as discussions continue about a possible delay to the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), many US producers may think a few extra months might sound like welcome breathing room—but the reality is more complex.

Around the world, the forest products industry is undergoing a profound shift. Traditional markets—like pulp, paper, and lumber—are tightening. But demand is booming in new sectors where proof of carbon reduction and sustainable sourcing is non-negotiable.

Buyers of carbon credits, bioenergy feedstocks, and SAF aren’t just asking where materials came from—they’re asking for verifiable, geolocated, audit-ready data.

That’s exactly the type of infrastructure EUDR compliance requires:

·      Geolocation data to prove legal harvest.

·      Chain-of-custody visibility from forest to end product.

·      Risk assessment and documentation to verify sustainability claims.

This overlap means one investment—digital traceability—serves two powerful goals: regulatory compliance and revenue expansion.

1. Wood Pellets & Bioenergy

Europe’s bioenergy market continues to expand, but imports must now meet strict sustainability and traceability requirements under both EUDR and renewable energy directives.
Producers who can demonstrate EUDR-compliant sourcing are first in line for these contracts—while others risk exclusion from premium buyers.

2. Crude Tall Oil (CTO) Biofuels

Derived from pulp mill byproducts, CTO is becoming a key feedstock for renewable diesel and SAF. As refineries seek low-carbon inputs, verifiable origin data becomes essential. Mills equipped with digital traceability tools can prove sustainability and capture this growing demand.

3. Carbon Credits and Sequestration Projects

Landowners and mill operators entering carbon markets must provide defensible evidence of legal harvest and carbon retention. EUDR-ready traceability systems already generate this data—creating new revenue streams without duplicating effort.

4. Future Markets: Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

SAF is projected to grow exponentially by 2030, with forest residues and woody biomass playing a central role. But SAF producers will only partner with feedstock suppliers who can quantify and verify carbon intensity. Those prepared for EUDR will already meet the transparency threshold.