Sheesham and CITES — finished furniture is exempt, and here is the proof trail.
Sheesham — Indian rosewood, Dalbergia sissoo — is our signature timber. Dalbergia is a CITES Appendix II genus, but since CoP19 (2022, Annotation 15) finished furniture and handicrafts are exempt from CITES permits. Your finished sheesham order ships without a CITES permit — and we still hand you legal-sourcing proof so it clears customs cleanly and satisfies EUDR, Lacey and UKTR.
Appendix II genus — but finished products are exempt.
CITES — the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species — lists the entire Dalbergia rosewood genus, including sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo), on Appendix II. Crucially, at the 19th Conference of the Parties (CoP19, November 2022) the governing Annotation 15 was amended so that finished products of Dalbergia species — except Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) — are no longer subject to CITES controls. Finished sheesham furniture and handicrafts move across borders without a CITES permit. The control now bites only on raw logs, sawn timber and veneer sheets — which we do not export. This was a deliberate relief for Indian shisham furniture and handicraft exporters.
Finished goods: no permit
Your finished sheesham pieces — tables, beds, cabinets, carved décor — fall under the Annotation 15 exemption. No CITES export or import permit is required for the finished item.
Legality still matters
Exemption from CITES is not a legality waiver. EUDR, Lacey and UKTR due diligence still apply — so we document legal harvest and origin on every order regardless.
We export finished, not raw
The remaining CITES controls target raw logs and sawn timber. As a finished-furniture manufacturer we sit outside that scope — another reason your container moves cleanly.
No CITES permit needed — full legality file still provided.
Because your finished sheesham is exempt, there is no CITES permit to wait on. What we still give you is the legal-sourcing evidence your own compliance file needs: species and origin recorded per item, reconciled with timber-legality and chain-of-custody proof.
Certificate references are shared directly with confirmed buyers on request. We never publish numbers — that protects you and us from document misuse.
| Item | Status & our evidence |
|---|---|
| Finished sheesham furniture | CITES permit NOT required (Annotation 15, CoP19 2022) |
| Raw logs / sawn timber | Still CITES-controlled — we do not export raw timber |
| Legal harvest proof | Vriksh timber-legality verification |
| Chain-of-custody | FSC chain-of-custody, species-to-lot traceable |
| EU market overlay | EUDR-ready geolocation · UKTR due diligence |
| US market overlay | Lacey Act declaration support |
| Verification | SGS inspection · ISO · SEDEX / SMETA on request |
CITES, EUDR, Lacey and UKTR — what still applies.
With finished sheesham now outside CITES, the regimes that remain are about legality and deforestation-free origin. We assemble a single coherent file so one shipment satisfies all of them, rather than chasing disconnected paper trails.
Finished = exempt
Finished Dalbergia products are exempt under Annotation 15 (except D. nigra). No permit for your furniture.
The origin
Geolocation and deforestation-free due diligence for the EU market — prepared, not retrofitted.
The declaration
US Lacey Act declaration support, with species and origin that match the paperwork.
The diligence
UK Timber Regulation due-diligence evidence that reconciles with the same source data.
No permit to wait on. A complete legality file in hand.
When you place a sheesham order, there is no CITES permit to delay it. We scope species and legal origin at quotation, prepare the legality pack during the 30–45 day production window, and ship from Mundra or Nhava Sheva — with a documentation set your customs broker, auditor or retail buyer can rely on.
- Finished sheesham: no CITES permit required (Annotation 15 exemption).
- Legal-harvest and origin evidence aligned to Vriksh and FSC — no contradictions.
- EUDR, Lacey and UKTR overlays assembled from the same source data.
- Certificate references shared 1:1 with confirmed buyers — never published.
Related compliance
Sheesham is one timber in a fully documented programme. See how the rest of our evidence fits together, or ask for the certificate set that applies to your order.
Sheesham & CITES — FAQs.
Does sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo) furniture need CITES permits?
No — not finished furniture. Dalbergia is a CITES Appendix II genus, but at CoP19 (November 2022) CITES amended Annotation 15 to exempt finished products of Dalbergia species (other than Brazilian rosewood, Dalbergia nigra). Finished sheesham furniture and handicrafts therefore move across borders without CITES permits. Only raw logs, sawn timber and veneer stay controlled — and we export finished goods, not raw timber.
So what changed at CITES CoP19 in 2022?
Before 2022, exporters and customs often treated any Dalbergia item — including finished furniture — as needing CITES paperwork, which slowed shipments. CoP19 (Annotation 15) clarified that finished products are outside the CITES controls. This was a specific relief for Indian shisham (sheesham) furniture and handicraft exporters, confirmed by India's export promotion council (EPCH). Your finished sheesham order no longer needs a CITES export permit.
If CITES is not required, how do I know the wood is legal?
This is where documented sourcing matters. CITES exemption is not a legality waiver — your EU, US, UK and Australian due-diligence duties still apply. We back every sheesham order with Vriksh timber-legality verification, FSC chain-of-custody, and EUDR-ready geolocation / Lacey Act / UKTR due-diligence evidence — so species, origin and legal harvest all reconcile on one file, even though no CITES permit is needed.
Does the exemption cover a table with a sheesham top and an iron base?
Yes. A finished piece — whether all sheesham or a sheesham top on an iron or marble base — is a finished product and falls under the Annotation 15 exemption. No CITES permit is required for the finished item. We still record species and legal origin per item so your import compliance file is complete.
How does this relate to EUDR, the Lacey Act and UKTR?
CITES (species) is now largely out of scope for your finished sheesham; the legality regimes remain. EUDR governs deforestation-free origin and geolocation for the EU, the US Lacey Act governs the import declaration, and UKTR governs UK due diligence. We assemble one reconciled dossier — legal harvest, geolocation and chain-of-custody — so a single shipment satisfies all of them.
Can you still provide species and legality documentation if my customs broker asks?
Always. Even though finished sheesham needs no CITES permit, we prepare a species-and-legality pack — Vriksh legality, FSC chain-of-custody and origin evidence — and share certificate references directly with confirmed buyers. If a broker or auditor wants the paper trail, it is ready.
Export sheesham — no CITES permit, full legality file.
Tell us your range and destination market. We will confirm the Annotation 15 position for your items, assemble the legal-sourcing pack, confirm MOQ and lead time, and quote FOB or CIF — so your first container of sheesham lands cleanly.