A.P. Moller-Maersk is scrambling to comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which kicked into gear in January 2025. The shipping giant announced late in 2025 that it was rolling out a slate of new supply chain visibility protocols and digital tools. The goal is to guarantee that every commodity it hauls into the EU is deforestation-free and legally produced. Maersk’s move is meant to shield its clients from risk and keep cargo moving under the tough new rules, but the big question is whether it’s enough to satisfy regulators and environmental groups.
Key Takeaways
- Maersk has new digital platforms to trace EUDR-regulated commodities like palm oil and soy.
- The company is now making suppliers provide geo-location data for every production plot for goods shipped to the EU.
- Maersk is working with third-party auditors to check compliance documents and pinpoint deforestation risks in its massive supply chain.
- If you’re shipping EUDR-affected goods with Maersk, you now have to submit detailed due diligence statements through their portals.
- The company expects there will be disruptions and a lot more administrative work for shippers who aren’t compliant as enforcement gets serious through 2026.
Context and Background of EUDR
The EU Deforestation Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115), passed in June 2023, is a huge piece of legislation trying to curb global deforestation that’s tied to things the EU consumes and produces. It forces companies importing or exporting specific goods to prove they weren’t grown on land deforested after December 31, 2020. The list is long: cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, wood, and rubber, plus a bunch of products made from them. While smaller companies got a bit of a grace period, the enforcement hammer really started coming down on major players like Maersk in early 2025.
The regulation puts the burden of proof squarely on operators, who need serious due diligence systems. We’re not just talking about knowing the country of origin anymore. Now, you need precise geo-location coordinates for the exact farms or plantations where the commodities were grown. This level of detail is a massive change from older, weaker rules. For a company like Maersk, handling enormous volumes of these goods, the real headache is integrating this data across a tangled global network of suppliers and clients. Verifying the ethical and legal source of every single relevant shipment is now part of the job.
Implications for Maersk and its Clients
Maersk is tackling this from a few different angles. Internally, the company has poured money into building digital platforms to collect and check the required geo-location and due diligence data. According to a recent Maersk press release, they’ve launched a special EUDR compliance module inside their existing supply chain software. This tool forces shippers of regulated goods to upload proof of their deforestation-free status, things like satellite image analysis and land registry documents, before they can even book a container for an EU-bound ship.
For Maersk’s clients, this just means more paperwork and a need to be totally transparent. I think a lot of the small to medium-sized businesses that use Maersk are going to have a hard time with the technical side of this and the data collection involved. They’ll either have to invest in new traceability tech or they’ll get locked out of the EU market completely. Maersk says it will work more closely with groups like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) to try and make certification easier. That kind of collaboration is non-negotiable. No single company can solve this alone.
What’s Next for Supply Chains Under EUDR
The next year, 2026, is going to be a major test for the EUDR and for logistics companies like Maersk. The regulation is supposed to be about sustainability, but its rollout is already causing friction. Industry groups like the European Federation of Woodworking Industries (CEI-Bois) are worried about how practical it is to get exact geo-location data from smallholder farmers, especially in developing countries with complex supply chains. Maersk knows this is a problem and says it’s working with partners on training programs for suppliers in these high-risk areas.
On top of that, the regulation’s bite will depend on how well individual EU countries enforce it. If customs in Antwerp and Hamburg interpret the rules differently, it could create a messy, uneven playing field for everyone. Maersk and other big carriers are going to be under constant pressure to tweak their systems as new regulatory guidance comes out and the first enforcement cases set a clearer precedent. This isn’t a one-and-done compliance project. It’s a long-term commitment to traceability that is going to reshape global trade for years.
The EUDR is a major overhaul for supply chain accountability. Maersk is trying to set the bar for compliance by building strong traceability and verification systems. But the real test will be whether these measures are applied consistently across their entire network and whether the industry can actually help all its players, especially the smaller producers, meet these incredibly demanding rules. All this data management also makes tools for economic data visualization more important than ever for maintaining some clarity and oversight.
What commodities does the EUDR cover?
The EU Deforestation Regulation covers cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy, wood, and rubber, as well as a range of derived products such as leather, chocolate, printed paper, and furniture.
When did EUDR enforcement begin?
Enforcement for the EU Deforestation Regulation officially began in January 2025, though there are grace periods for micro and small enterprises.
What data does Maersk require for EUDR compliance?
Shippers of regulated goods must provide Maersk with precise geo-location data for production plots, due diligence statements, and proof that the items weren’t produced on land deforested after December 31, 2020.
How is Maersk helping clients with EUDR rules?
Maersk has rolled out dedicated digital compliance modules in its software and is working with certification bodies to make the verification process simpler for its clients.
What are the biggest challenges in adapting to EUDR?
The key challenges are getting precise geo-location data from complex and fragmented supply chains (especially from smallholder farmers) and handling the increased administrative work of due diligence.
