**To export teak furniture from Indonesia you source from an SVLK-certified Jepara workshop, lock grade and moisture specs, consolidate a mixed-SKU container that cubes out, and prepare the legality stack — a V-Legal Document, an optional FLEGT licence for the EU, plus EUDR geolocation. Loading runs FOB Semarang / Tanjung Emas.**
This is the pillar the rest of our guides link up to. It walks a buyer end to end: picking an export-ready supplier, the legality documents teak must carry, reading grade and moisture, cubing a container, lead times, the export paperwork, and how a quote actually comes together.
What makes a Jepara supplier “export-ready”?
Not every workshop can ship a container abroad. Export-ready means the workshop — or the exporter consolidating for it — holds a Timber Legality Certificate (Sertifikat Legalitas Kayu, SLK), kiln-dries to a stable moisture content, and can issue a V-Legal Document at loading. Jepara, on Java’s north coast, is Indonesia’s furniture hub; most solid-teak (jati) production for export flows through its workshops and nearby consolidators.
A broker-consolidator matters when one order mixes SKUs from several small workshops into a single box. Teak Furniture Exporter — operated by Bali Premium Trip, part of Juara Holding Group, an Indonesian group operating from Bali across Indonesia since 2015 — arranges production through vetted Jepara workshops rather than owning a sawmill itself.
Which legality documents must teak furniture carry?
Teak is plantation timber and sits squarely inside SVLK — Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu — Indonesia’s mandatory national timber-legality system, compulsory for every timber-industry entity since January 2013. Its legal basis includes Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation No. 8 of 2021 and Director General Decision No. 9895/MenLHK-PHL/BPPHH/HPL.3/2022, with export HS codes set by Minister of Trade Regulation No. 12 of 2022.
| Document | What it proves | Who issues / when |
|---|---|---|
| SLK (Sertifikat Legalitas Kayu) | The operator’s timber-legality certificate | Held by the workshop / exporter |
| V-Legal Document | Legal origin of the specific shipment | Required on timber exports since 1 Jan 2013; all wooden furniture except bamboo since 1 Jan 2015 |
| FLEGT licence | Automatic compliance with the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR, Reg (EU) 995/2010) | Issued by 22 Indonesian Licensing Authorities; Indonesia was the first country to export FLEGT-licensed products, since November 2016 |
| EUDR due-diligence + geolocation | Deforestation-free proof (cut-off 31 Dec 2020) under Reg (EU) 2023/1115 | Compiled by the exporter; acceptance rests with EU authorities |
A point buyers ask about often: SVLK and FLEGT prove legality, but they do not by themselves satisfy EUDR, adopted in 2023, which adds a deforestation-free test plus geolocation traceability. Full EUDR application is phasing in around end-2026, making it a live 2027 concern. We prepare the documentation; we never sell customs or EUDR certainty — acceptance always rests with the authorities.
Policy has moved, too. In February 2020 the Ministry of Trade issued a rule scrapping the V-Legal requirement (effective 27 May 2020), which the forestry ministry said it was not consulted on; and as of 2 May 2025 the trade ministry announced relaxing V-Legal document requirements for furniture exports except to the EU and UK. For EU and UK buyers, the paperwork still matters. Scale shows why the system carries weight: between 2013 and August 2018 Indonesia issued nearly 900,000 V-Legal documents to more than 207 countries, and licensed export value rose from USD 6.1 billion in 2013 to USD 10.9 billion in 2017.
How do you read grade A vs B and moisture content?
Grade A is heartwood — dense, even-toned, the standard for premium indoor and outdoor pieces. Grade B carries more sapwood, small knots or colour variation and costs less. Neither is defined by any government price list; grade is a commercial specification you agree with the workshop. Kiln-dried export teak typically lands around 8-12% moisture content (MC), which lowers cracking risk in transit and destination climates — though no supplier can guarantee zero movement in solid wood.
How does container cubing set your MOQ?
Your minimum order is really a full container that “cubes out” — fills the volume before it hits weight. Mixed-SKU loads are normal: dining sets, loungers and cabinets share one box.
| Container | Usable volume | Indicative mixed load* |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | ~28 CBM | Partial to half of a showroom range |
| 40ft High Cube | ~68 CBM | Full mixed indoor + outdoor program |
*Piece counts vary with item size and packing; figures are indicative, as of 2026, subject to change.
What does export cost and how long does it take?
Pricing is quote-based per piece and per spec — there is no single commodity band, and no official source publishes FOB teak-furniture prices. The USD figures below are indicative examples only, as of 2026, subject to change, and move with grade, construction, finish and cubing.
| Line item | Indicative example (USD)* | Moves with |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A teak dining chair | ~$45–80 each | joinery, finish |
| Outdoor teak table, 200 cm | ~$190–340 | thickness, hardware |
| 40ft HC ocean freight | quoted separately | route, season |
| First-order lead time | ~8–14 weeks | volume, custom / OEM |
Loading is FOB — free on board — typically at Semarang / Tanjung Emas, with Jakarta or Surabaya as alternatives.
Which documents move the shipment?
Beyond the legality papers, a standard export set travels with the goods: a proforma invoice (to confirm the order and trigger the deposit), a commercial invoice and packing list, a Certificate of Origin, and the Bill of Lading issued at loading. Payment commonly runs as a telegraphic-transfer (T/T) deposit with the balance against a Bill of Lading copy, or by letter of credit (L/C) — terms are agreed per order, not fixed here.
How does ordering work?
- Send your item list, drawings or reference photos to the concierge.
- Receive a per-spec quote — grade, moisture target, finish, cubing.
- Approve a sample and proforma invoice; place your deposit.
- Production and kiln-drying in vetted Jepara workshops, with QC.
- SVLK / V-Legal prepared; EUDR geolocation compiled for EU orders.
- FOB loading at Semarang / Tanjung Emas; Bill of Lading issued; balance settled.
Ready to price a container?
Send your item list to the Bali Premium Trip concierge on WhatsApp 6281128590000 or sales@balipremiumtrip.com, or submit the quote form. You get a per-spec quotation from vetted Jepara workshops with the legality stack mapped to your destination market. No fixed catalogue price, no customs guarantee — just a clear, documented quote you can plan a container around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a company in Indonesia to export teak furniture?
No. Most overseas buyers import as the consignee while an Indonesian exporter of record handles SVLK, the V-Legal Document and FOB loading. Working through a Jepara consolidator like the one Bali Premium Trip arranges means you place one order and receive one documented container, without registering a local entity yourself.
Will SVLK or FLEGT documents guarantee my container clears EU customs?
No document guarantees clearance. FLEGT licences automatically meet the EU Timber Regulation, but from around end-2026 EUDR adds a separate deforestation-free and geolocation test that SVLK and FLEGT do not cover. We prepare and compile the paperwork; acceptance always rests with the EU competent authorities, not the exporter.
Can I mix indoor and outdoor teak in one container?
Yes, and most first orders do. A 40ft High Cube (~68 CBM) comfortably holds a mixed program of dining sets, loungers, cabinets and outdoor tables. Mixed-SKU loading is how buyers reach container volume — your minimum order is really cubing out the box, not a per-item quantity.
How long does a first teak furniture order from Jepara take?
Plan roughly 8–14 weeks as an indicative range, as of 2026, subject to change. Custom or OEM pieces, larger volumes and finishing choices extend it; repeat orders run faster. Kiln-drying to about 8-12% moisture and QC sit inside that window before FOB loading at Semarang or Tanjung Emas.
What is FOB Semarang and who pays the freight?
FOB — free on board — means the price covers goods loaded onto the vessel at the Indonesian port, usually Tanjung Emas in Semarang. From there ocean freight, insurance and destination charges are the buyer’s account, quoted separately. It lets you control your own shipping line while the workshop handles production and export documentation.