Brazil
USA trade laneBrazilian wood built America's premium decks: ipe, cumaru, and other tropical hardwoods prized for durability, alongside plywood, flooring, components, and a furniture industry serving US retail. It is also the most documentation-sensitive wood origin in the trade — tropical timber from the Amazon basin sits at the center of global forest-protection enforcement, and US Lacey Act scrutiny reflects that.
The legitimate trade is substantial and well-documented: licensed Brazilian exporters operate under IBAMA's control systems, and importers who insist on that paper trail ship confidently. AGF handles Brazilian wood with compliance verification as step one — because in this category, the documents are the product's passport.
How Wood Products & Furniture Ships from Brazil to USA
Lumber and decking ship bundled and stickered in containers, loading to weight with dense tropical species (ipe runs heavy — weight limits arrive fast); plywood palletizes; furniture ships as in any origin. Moisture management (kiln-dried stock, ventilation awareness) protects dimensional stability across the tropical crossing.
The real critical path is documentary: export authorization and species documentation must exist before loading — Brazilian enforcement is serious on the origin side, and US enforcement mirrors it at entry.
- Dense hardwoods: weight-limited loading, 20ft often optimal
- Kiln-dried certification and moisture protocols
- IBAMA export documentation verified before booking
- Species-accurate packing lists matching Lacey declarations
What Drives the Cost
- Species density vs container weight limits
- Compliance documentation in the supply chain
- Duty rates (most lumber lines low; furniture largely free)
- Kiln-drying and preparation standards
- US inland delivery to yards and distributors
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4407 / 4409 | Sawn tropical hardwood / decking and flooring profiles | Species-specific lines; accurate botanical identification drives both classification and Lacey compliance. |
| 4412 | Plywood | Brazilian plywood is a significant US import; hardwood plywood trade measures target other origins — verify per product. |
| 9403 | Wooden furniture | Standard furniture classifications, with the wood-documentation overlay this origin demands. |
Regulations and Compliance
Lacey Act — the center of gravity
Plant-product declarations with accurate species and harvest documentation are mandatory, and Brazilian tropical timber receives real scrutiny. Buy only from exporters providing complete IBAMA-system documentation; undocumented tropical hardwood is a seizure risk no price discount justifies.
IBAMA and Brazilian export controls
Brazil's environmental agency licenses timber exports through tracking systems (DOF and related documentation). Legitimate exporters produce this routinely — its absence is disqualifying, not negotiable.
CITES species awareness
Certain Brazilian species carry CITES listings requiring permits. Species verification at ordering prevents impossible situations at entry.
TSCA Title VI
Composite products (plywood, MDF-core furniture) need EPA formaldehyde compliance like any origin.
Door-to-Door Import Service
From licensed Brazilian mills to US lumber yards and distributors: documentation verification, bundled loading, ocean freight, Lacey-complete entries, and heavy delivery — the compliant path through a scrutinized category.
Deck-supply and flooring businesses run seasonal programs with us: spring inventory shipped in winter, documentation templated, entries consistent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to import ipe and tropical hardwood from Brazil?
What is the Lacey Act declaration for Brazilian wood?
How much decking fits in a container?
Wood Products & Furniture is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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