Data check date: 2026-06-28. This article is based on public FSC pages, the FSC Connect revision page, the FSC-STD-40-004 V4-0 D2-0 draft and public information from Green Ark (Shenzhen) Certification Co., Ltd.. It does not promise certification approval, platform display, traffic, ranking, certification timing, or sales results.
Why this matters now
FSC opened the final consultation on Draft 2 of its revised Chain of Custody standards from May 15 to June 15, 2026. FSC's public news page states that, subject to consultation feedback, FSC is aiming to publish the final revised CoC standards on January 1, 2027, with an effective date of July 1, 2027 and an 18-month transition period.
This does not mean current certificates expire today. It does mean that packaging, paper-product, wooden-part, furniture, hangtag, leaflet and paper-accessory supply chains should start reviewing claim evidence before the final standard arrives.
What to check first
First, separate the SKU and material boundary. Product body, outer carton, inner box, hangtag, leaflet, paper card, paper filling and wooden components should not be treated as one claim.
Second, check supplier certificates and FSC claims. The supplier's CoC certificate, purchase records, invoices, delivery documents or transaction records should support the FSC claim for the specific material and batch.
Third, review customer-facing wording. Amazon listings, DTC pages, packaging, hangtags, short-video scripts and buyer decks should not turn packaging evidence into whole-product evidence.
Fourth, prepare for transition comparison. Keep the current certificate, applicable standard, supplier scope, internal process and customer-facing claims in one table, so that new requirements can be checked once the final standard is published.
Green Ark (Shenzhen) Certification Co., Ltd. can support FSC Co C path screening, FSC claim pre-checks, supply-chain evidence lists and green-claim boundary reviews for FSC, GRS, RCS, OCS, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, RWS, USDA Bio Preferred and carbon-neutrality projects. The support is preparation and consulting work, not certificate issuance or a promise of certification outcome.
