What certification does Japan require for imported wood pellets?

Power plants under the feed-in tariff and feed-in premium schemes must buy fuel with third-party certification, required for fuel transactions since April 2024. The Sustainable Biomass Program and Green Gold Label are recognised schemes. The plant's own approval names what it accepts, so the certificate is agreed with the buyer before a cargo is offered.

Why do Japanese and Korean buyers pay different prices for Vietnamese pellets?

They buy different grades on different terms. Japanese FIT plants need certified fuel to a tighter specification and mostly buy on term contracts; Korean generators buy largely by spot tender on price. In September 2026 the Japanese grade was assessed at USD 146.25 per tonne FOB Vietnam and the Korean grade at USD 125. Korea imported 3.91 million tonnes in 2025.

Can CBIL fix the ship for a cargo to Japan?

Yes. LaycanDesk, our chartering desk, prices the bulk carrier with the cargo, so the buyer sees one delivered figure. Wood pellets are carried under the IMSBC Code as a Group B cargo, with gas testing of holds before entry because the cargo depletes oxygen and gives off carbon monoxide.

North Asia · Japan

Japan Wood Pellet Imports (FIT and FIP Biomass Power)

A record 8.64 million tonnes in 2025, two-thirds from Vietnam, bought under feed-in tariff rules that now require third-party certified fuel

Japan imported 8.64 million tonnes of wood pellets in 2025, a record and 35% more than in 2024, worth USD 1.68 billion or about USD 194 per tonne landed. Vietnam supplied 5.68 million tonnes (66%), Canada 1.29 million (15%), the United States 0.68 million (8%, down 40% on the year), Malaysia 0.47 million and Indonesia 0.41 million. The buyers are dedicated biomass and co-firing power plants selling electricity under the feed-in tariff (FIT) and feed-in premium (FIP) schemes, mostly on term contracts, with spot cargoes filling the gaps. Price follows origin and grade: on 23 September 2026 Vietnamese pellets for Japanese FIT plants were assessed at USD 146.25 per tonne FOB, against USD 125 for the grade sold to Korea, after floods cut Vietnamese output.

The scheme sets what can be imported. Since April 2024 fuel transactions under FIT and FIP must carry third-party certification, and the Sustainable Biomass Program and Green Gold Label are among the schemes recognised. For projects certified from fiscal 2022, the fuel must also show a lifecycle greenhouse gas saving of 50% against a fossil benchmark of 180 gCO2 per MJ until fiscal 2029, and 70% from fiscal 2030; cultivation, processing and the sea voyage all count, which favours short-haul and residue-based supply. A mill without a recognised certificate, or a supply chain that cannot document its emissions, cannot sell into these plants at any price. CBIL is a commodity brokerage: each lot is brokered between a named mill or exporter and a named buyer, against the buyer's fuel specification, independent analysis and draft survey at load, and the certificates its FIT approval requires.

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The market in figures

Japan wood pellet imports, 2025: 8.64 million t, a record, up 35%, USD 1.68 billion
Average landed value, 2025: about USD 194 per tonne
Origins, 2025: Vietnam 5.68 Mt (66%) · Canada 1.29 Mt (15%) · United States 0.68 Mt (8%) · Malaysia 0.47 Mt · Indonesia 0.41 Mt
FOB Vietnam, 23 September 2026: USD 146.25/t for Japanese FIT grade · USD 125/t for Korean grade
Certification: Third-party certified fuel transactions required since April 2024 (SBP and GGL recognised)
Lifecycle greenhouse gas rule: 50% saving against 180 gCO2/MJ to fiscal 2029 · 70% from fiscal 2030 (projects certified from fiscal 2022)

Landed values are the importing country's declared CIF, not CBIL prices.

Questions buyers ask

How much wood pellet does Japan import, and from where?: A record 8.64 million tonnes in 2025, up 35% on 2024. Vietnam supplied 5.68 million tonnes (66%), Canada 1.29 million (15%), the United States 0.68 million (8%), Malaysia 0.47 million and Indonesia 0.41 million.
What certification does Japan require for imported wood pellets?: Power plants under the feed-in tariff and feed-in premium schemes must buy fuel with third-party certification, required for fuel transactions since April 2024. The Sustainable Biomass Program and Green Gold Label are recognised schemes. The plant's own approval names what it accepts, so the certificate is agreed with the buyer before a cargo is offered.
What is the greenhouse gas rule for biomass under the Japanese FIT?: For projects certified from fiscal 2022, the fuel must save 50% of lifecycle emissions against a fossil benchmark of 180 gCO2 per MJ until fiscal 2029, and 70% from fiscal 2030. Emissions from the raw material, pelletising and sea transport are all counted.
Why do Japanese and Korean buyers pay different prices for Vietnamese pellets?: They buy different grades on different terms. Japanese FIT plants need certified fuel to a tighter specification and mostly buy on term contracts; Korean generators buy largely by spot tender on price. In September 2026 the Japanese grade was assessed at USD 146.25 per tonne FOB Vietnam and the Korean grade at USD 125. Korea imported 3.91 million tonnes in 2025.
Can CBIL fix the ship for a cargo to Japan?: Yes. LaycanDesk, our chartering desk, prices the bulk carrier with the cargo, so the buyer sees one delivered figure. Wood pellets are carried under the IMSBC Code as a Group B cargo, with gas testing of holds before entry because the cargo depletes oxygen and gives off carbon monoxide.