APRIL’s FSC remedy process remains suspended
FSC has decided to maintain the suspension of its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Ltd. (APRIL) and its corporate group.
This decision follows APRIL’s announcement on 28 May 2026, “Update on Wood Sourcing Policies and Open Market Wood Sourcing.” FSC understands from that announcement that APRIL plans to procure wood from companies reported to have been involved in forest conversion after 31 December 2020, FSC’s established cut-off date for forest conversion. This includes PT Mayawana Persada (PT MP) and PT Industrial Forest Plantation (PT IFP).
The announcement also states that APRIL plans to change the cut-off date requirements for its suppliers to 31 December 2020. APRIL’s earlier commitments, including enforcing a 2015 cut-off date, were an important factor in FSC engaging in dialogue with APRIL about ending disassociation.
During the suspension, FSC will evaluate evidence on whether APRIL can enforce its commitments in a scenario where a supplier engaged in conversion post-2020. In addition, FSC will work to understand how remedy can be attained for harms connected to conversion by suppliers such as PT MP and PT IFP.
APRIL has met previous conditions set by FSC to address incident at Toba Pulp Lestari
The decision to maintain the suspension is separate from the conditions that led to the first suspension, issued on 25 September 2025, which related to a violent incident at Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL). FSC’s conditions for lifting that suspension included an independent investigation identifying the root causes of the incident, an action plan from APRIL to address the investigation’s findings and supporting information showing the company has systems in place to avoid similar incidents.
APRIL submitted the independent investigation report on 27 February and the rest of the specified materials in March 2026, including a work plan detailing measures taken in response to the incident. FSC reviewed the materials and found that the measures and commitments described in the work plan meet the requirements of the FSC Remedy Framework. On 3 June 2026, FSC determined that APRIL met the conditions.
Summary and FSC’s position
Although APRIL has met the conditions related to the September 2025 incident, it may not resume the FSC remedy process because the suspension remains in effect due to concerns about APRIL’s updated wood sourcing commitments.
FSC remains committed to the purpose of the FSC Remedy Framework, which is designed to ensure that environmental and social harms are identified and addressed through fair, transparent, and rights-based processes that deliver meaningful outcomes for affected communities, workers, and ecosystems. At the same time, participation in the FSC remedy process depends on continued alignment with FSC’s requirements and values. A decision on APRIL’s remedy process will be based on whether the current concerns are resolved in a manner that prevents harm and safeguards the credibility of the FSC system.
For up-to-date information on APRIL’s remedy process, please refer to this page.
For a more detailed explanation, please refer to these: Questions & Answers (Q&A)