Flooring is a wood product that sits inside people's homes, so US law looks at it from two directions: where the wood came from (Lacey Act) and what the boards emit (formaldehyde rules). Getting both right is a condition of entry and of every retailer's vendor agreement.
Lacey Act: legal timber and the import declaration
- The Lacey Act makes it illegal to import wood that was harvested or traded in violation of the laws of the country of harvest. Importers are expected to exercise due care.
- For covered HTS codes — wood flooring headings are in the APHIS schedule — a plant and plant product declaration (PPQ 505 or its electronic equivalent) is filed with the customs entry.
- Data needed: genus and species of each wood, country of harvest (where the tree was cut, not where the flooring was made), quantity and value.
- Engineered flooring is a composite: declare the species of the wear layer and the core. Where the core species cannot be determined, APHIS provides a special designation for composite materials — your supplier still needs to document what they can.
- Keep supporting records — log and lumber purchase documents, species and harvest-country evidence — for at least the period the rules require.
Formaldehyde: TSCA Title VI and CARB Phase 2
- EPA's TSCA Title VI rule sets formaldehyde emission limits for hardwood plywood, MDF and particleboard. It is aligned with California's CARB Phase 2 programme.
- Since 22 March 2024, producers of many laminated products — a wood veneer bonded to a compliant core, which describes most engineered flooring — have had to test and certify their products like hardwood plywood producers, unless they qualify for an exemption.
- Certified products carry a TSCA Title VI compliant label (on the product or the smallest package), naming the producer and the third-party certifier.
- Importers must certify compliance at entry and keep records — your forwarder will ask for the certifier's details and certificates.
FSC and other claims
FSC certification is voluntary, but many US retailers and architects ask for it. Only claim FSC on invoices and cartons if the mill holds a valid chain-of-custody certificate covering that product — mislabelled claims cause delistings. Membership of trade associations is not a certification.
Document checklist per shipment
- Commercial invoice and packing list with species, construction and sq ft per carton.
- Lacey Act declaration data: genus/species, country of harvest, quantity, value per component.
- TSCA Title VI certificate and label photos; finish technical and safety data sheets.
- FSC certificate number (if claimed) and origin documents.
Related: Lacey Act and TSCA for furniture · importing engineered flooring.
Duties, Section 232 scope and formaldehyde and Lacey Act rules change, and they depend on the exact product. This article is general guidance, not legal advice — confirm the treatment of your HTS code, species and origin before quoting.
Balance Trans ships engineered flooring from Vietnam and Cambodia to US and Canadian distributors, retailers and projects on DDP terms — container booking, Lacey Act and customs entry, duties and delivery to the warehouse. See DDP to the USA & Canada or send your spec sheet and volumes for a quote.