akar.earthDue diligence statement: Definition
What is an EUDR due diligence statement (DDS)? What it contains, who submits it in the EU Information System, and what Indonesian suppliers must provide.
A due diligence statement (DDS) is the declaration an operator submits through the EU Information System before placing an EUDR-covered product on the EU market or exporting it, confirming that due diligence was done and that no or only negligible risk was found. Each DDS gets a reference number that travels with the goods through customs and the supply chain.
Why it matters
The DDS is the legal proof point of EUDR compliance. Without it, customs can hold goods and authorities can fine the operator. By submitting it, the operator takes legal responsibility that the product is deforestation-free and legally produced.
What it contains
- Operator name and details.
- Product description, HS code and quantity.
- Country of production.
- Geolocation of all plots where the commodity was produced.
- Confirmation that due diligence found no or negligible risk.
- Reference numbers of earlier statements where relevant.
Behind the DDS sits the due diligence itself: information collection, risk assessment and risk mitigation. Records must be kept for five years. See the full page on the due diligence statement and the EU Information System.
Indonesia and Southeast Asia angle
Indonesian exporters, mills and cooperatives rarely file DDSs themselves, but EU buyers cannot file without their data. Suppliers that can deliver clean plot polygons, links between plots and shipments, and legality documents become preferred partners. Those that cannot risk losing EU orders after the application date.
Timing matters too. The DDS must be submitted before the goods are placed on the market or exported, so data from suppliers needs to arrive well before shipment. Late or incomplete geolocation is one of the most common causes of delays in pilot shipments.
Common mistakes
- Treating the DDS as a form to fill in rather than the end of a documented risk process.
- Submitting geolocation that does not match the actual sourcing plots.
- Assuming a certificate replaces the DDS.
Our EUDR compliance service helps suppliers build DDS-ready data. See also operator.
Frequently asked questions
Who submits the due diligence statement?
The operator that places the product on the EU market or exports it. Following the December 2025 amendments, full due diligence rests with the first operator, and downstream operators and traders have lighter duties. Check the Commission page for current details.
Does an Indonesian exporter submit a DDS?
Usually not directly, unless it is itself an operator in the EU. It supplies the geolocation and evidence the EU operator needs.