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FAQ / AMA
Frequently asked questions
Find answers to the main questions on due diligence, investigation of an operation, communication with suppliers, AMA checks and WoodPassport®.
06 QUESTIONS
Start an operation
What should I send to get started?
The European importer is AMA’s client and commissioning party. Present the operation, its origin, the products concerned and documents already available. AMA examines this initial information to define the scope and documents to request next.
Evaluate an operation →Do I need all the documents before contacting AMA?
No. You can start with the information you have. Further requests are defined after an initial review of the operation.
Start an assessment →Can I present an operation before the shipment date is set?
Yes. Early contact helps define the investigation and identify information to gather. Details not yet known can be specified later.
Present the operation →What happens after I submit my operation?
In this prototype, the form is a demonstration and does not transmit data. Under the planned process, AMA first examines the available information, then specifies appropriate requests and checks.
View the process →How are AMA's fees and timeframes determined?
The basic AMA audit and WoodPassport® are charged at a fixed fee. Documentary verification, traceability, geospatial analyses and volume consistency are included in this core service.
WoodPassport® Origin is subject to an additional fixed fee including a customisable web page and one year’s hosting. A visit to the forest harvesting site is an option quoted separately, according to access, location, logistics and season.
For several containers from exactly the same lot and origin, an appropriate additional charge may apply when checks can be reused. Timeframes vary according to documents available, checks and further information required.
Present the operation →Do several containers count as a single operation?
For several containers from exactly the same lot and origin, an appropriate additional charge may apply when checks can be reused. AMA examines the specifics of each operation before confirming the scope and applicable terms.
Describe the containers concerned →04 QUESTIONS
Due diligence and DDS
What is due diligence?
Due diligence includes collecting information, assessing risks and, where necessary, mitigating them. AMA contributes to this process by verifying, cross-checking and structuring the information specific to the operation.
The DDS is based on this work; it does not replace it. The importer retains responsibility for its due diligence and decision.
Understand the process →What does AMA prepare for the DDS?
AMA structures the dossier and prepares the information needed to complete the DDS. Validation of information and submission of the statement are the operator’s responsibility.
Understand DDS preparation →Who validates and submits the DDS?
The operator validates and submits its due diligence statement. AMA provides checks and prepared information to support its work.
View responsibilities →Is there EUDR / RDUE certification? Does the AMA dossier constitute such certification?
The EUDR / RDUE is a European regulation. There is no official EUDR certification issued by the European Union that automatically guarantees an operation’s compliance.
Private certifications and schemes may provide useful information for risk assessment, but do not replace the operator’s due diligence. An AMA report is documented independent verification, not a regulatory certificate.
View the scope of reports →03 QUESTIONS
Documents and investigation
Which documents does AMA request?
Documents depend on origin, products and the chain: commercial documents, forestry titles and authorisations, transport, processing, quantities or location data, according to the scope to be investigated. AMA specifies its requests after the initial review.
A document received is not automatically validated. It is examined and, where sources allow, corroborated against other evidence. Missing information, discrepancies and reservations remain identified in the dossier.
View the methodology →Why does AMA not provide the same list for every operation?
Applicable sources and links in the chain to be documented vary between countries and supply routes. A fixed list could omit a useful check or request documents unrelated to the operation.
View the stages →What happens when a document is missing?
AMA identifies the missing document, its role in the dossier and which checks remain possible. It may request targeted additional information and reports the limitations that remain.
View the approach →04 QUESTIONS
Suppliers / exporters
Why does AMA contact my exporter?
The exporter may hold the documents and explanations needed to link products to their origin and chain. After an initial review and with the importer’s mandate, AMA can send targeted requests.
Who commissions and pays AMA?
The European importer is AMA’s sole client, commissioning party and payer. Suppliers and exporters provide the necessary information free of charge: they pay AMA neither fees nor commission.
This financial separation helps safeguard independent checks and prevent conflicts of interest; it does not, by itself, provide an absolute guarantee of impartiality.
Present the operation →What does AMA request from the supplier or exporter?
AMA may request origin, transport, processing and volume documents, as well as clarification on links in the chain. Requests are tailored to the points needing corroboration.
Does AMA visit exporters, processing sites and harvesting sites?
According to its arrangements, AMA schedules visits to exporters with physical storage or processing facilities: sawmills, kilns, warehouses and other relevant units. Brokers’ commercial offices are not visited where there are no facilities to inspect.
Visit records and supplier undertakings are valid for one year. They are not a permanent approval: each new operation retains its own checks.
A visit to the forest harvesting site is distinct and optional, quoted separately. It depends on access, geographical, logistical and seasonal constraints, including weather. No physical visit is automatically performed for every operation.
03 QUESTIONS
Field and processing
Is a field visit always included?
No. The basic audit is based on documentary investigation, traceability, geospatial analyses and volume consistency. A forest harvesting site visit is a separate, individually quoted option; it depends on access, location, logistics, season and weather.
Visits to physical storage or processing facilities are organised according to AMA’s arrangements. They are not automatic for every dossier.
Specify the operation’s scope →What is the difference between a forest origin visit and a processing site check?
The harvesting site visit concerns the forest, concession or origin unit; it may include GPS surveys and physical observations. It is an option quoted separately.
Facility visits concern physical storage and processing sites according to AMA’s arrangements: sawmills, kilns, warehouses and other relevant units. Brokers’ offices alone are excluded. Visit records and supplier undertakings are valid for one year, with no permanent approval or automatic visit for every operation.
View the method →What can AMA observe in the field?
Depending on the mandate, AMA may record location information, physical observations, documents and matches with declarations received. These findings are placed within the overall dossier analysis. They are presented with the scope, locations and date of the documented intervention.
View the sources →03 QUESTIONS
Countries and origins
In which countries can AMA operate?
Agroforest Monitoring Agency has operational capabilities in six South American countries: Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Chile.
Capabilities are under development in Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Indonesia and Malaysia.
AMA will progressively expand its geographical coverage according to the significance of tropical timber markets and needs expressed by its importer clients.
This expansion requires suitable reference frameworks, verification sources and local capabilities. For any other origin, a feasibility study is necessary. Every request remains subject to a feasibility assessment.
What happens if my origin is not yet covered?
AMA can assess the feasibility of the investigation. After receiving the documentation, it identifies the sources, local framework and capabilities needed; additional time may be required.
Why can a new origin take longer?
Opening up a new origin requires examination of the local forestry and regulatory framework and identification of applicable documents and verification sources.
AMA must also prepare on-site capabilities, mobilise its international network and identify and qualify competent local professionals. This preparatory work can take time; it does not mean a physical presence is systematic for every dossier.
05 QUESTIONS
WoodPassport®
What is WoodPassport®?
WoodPassport® is the common reference linking an operation, its lot, the relevant container and the AMA verification dossier. The system provides for access to the complete dossier in a controlled-access environment, according to authorised permissions.
The client area marked “Coming soon” is not yet operational: prototype demonstrations do not provide access to a real dossier.
Discover WoodPassport® →What is WoodPassport® Authority for?
WoodPassport® Authority is an optional documentary summary accompanying the lot’s export documents, including the commercial invoice, Packing List and Bill of Lading.
It shows that a due diligence process has been carried out for the lot and presents the main checks performed. It provides an additional element of transparency, rigour and credibility when the operation’s documents are examined by authorities or inspection services.
Discover WoodPassport® Authority →What is WoodPassport® Origin?
WoodPassport® Origin is an optional service for presenting selected, authorised information to the importer’s customers: origin, documented chain, checks performed or publishable photographs. It includes a dedicated, customisable web page outside the personal area, with hosting planned for one year. A QR code may link to it. This presentation does not provide access to the complete confidential dossier.
View WoodPassport® Origin →Are my suppliers and prices published?
No. Supplier identities, prices, invoices and sensitive commercial information are highly confidential. They appear in the confidential audit dossier made available to the commissioning importer and are disclosed neither in WoodPassport® Authority nor in Origin.
Origin publishes only a selection of expressly authorised, non-confidential information.
View WoodPassport® →Is WoodPassport® EUDR / RDUE certification?
No. There is no official European EUDR certification automatically guaranteeing an operation’s compliance. WoodPassport® is neither EUDR / RDUE certification nor regulatory approval.
WoodPassport® links the operation to its verification dossier; Authority presents a documentary summary; Origin presents authorised non-confidential information. These three functions do not replace the operator’s due diligence.
Understand the system →03 QUESTIONS
Privacy and data
Is the importer's complete dossier public?
No. The complete dossier contains the assignment’s working documents, analyses, findings and reservations. Access is planned according to authorisations, in an area separate from public information. WoodPassport® Authority provides a limited informative summary; WoodPassport® Origin presents only the selection authorised for the importer’s customers. Personal online access remains planned functionality, not activated in the prototype.
View the levels →How does AMA handle commercial information?
AMA distinguishes between documents needed for the investigation and information intended to be shared. Detailed processing arrangements and the privacy policy must still be finalised before any real submission.
What information can be shared with the importer's customers?
An expressly authorised, non-confidential selection may describe the origin and checks performed. Supplier identities, prices, invoices and sensitive commercial information remain restricted to the importer’s confidential audit dossier; they are disclosed neither in Authority nor in Origin.
View WoodPassport® Origin →