European export
Timber Exporter in Spain — Shipping Across Europe
A family-run sawmill in Vimianzo, Galicia, exporting sawn timber, pellets and pallets to wholesale buyers in Portugal, France, Germany and Italy.
Maderas Caamaño is a family-run sawmill based in Berdoias, Vimianzo (A Coruña), Galicia. We buy standing and round timber, saw it in-house, and process it into pallets, sawn timber and biomass. We regularly export to wholesale buyers in Portugal, France, Germany and Italy, and this page explains how that process works: the incoterms we use, the paperwork that travels with each shipment, and the advantages the EU single market offers compared with exporting outside it.
This isn't a single-country page — it's an overview of how we approach export as a sawmill, regardless of destination. If you need specific distances and timelines for Portugal, France, Germany or Italy, see the dedicated export guide for that destination, linked from this page's sidebar.
At a glance
| Incoterms available | EXW, FOB, or delivered — agreed between buyer and seller |
|---|---|
| Transport documentation | CMR consignment note for international road freight |
| EU destinations | No customs duties or border checks between Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and Italy |
| ISPM-15 pallets | Required only for non-EU destinations (e.g. the UK) |
| Typical full truckload | Approximately 24-26 tonnes or up to 33 EPAL pallet positions |
| Load consolidation | Pellets, pallets and sawn timber can be combined in a single shipment |
| Intra-EU VAT | Typically exempt at origin under reverse-charge with a VIES-verified VAT number |
Incoterms: EXW, FOB or delivered
We work with the incoterms standard across the European timber trade: EXW (collection from our Vimianzo site), FOB, or delivered to an agreed destination. Which one applies depends on who arranges transport and carries the insurance risk along the route; buyer and seller agree the terms that suit a given order before the shipment is confirmed.
This flexibility lets each buyer choose the arrangement that fits its own logistics setup. A buyer running its own fleet or working with a regular freight forwarder often prefers EXW and organizes collection directly from Vimianzo, while others prefer that we arrange transport to an agreed point. Either way, the chosen incoterm is set out in the shipment paperwork alongside the rest of the commercial terms.
Documentation: the CMR consignment note
Every international road shipment within Europe travels with a CMR consignment note, the standard document identifying the sender, the carrier and the consignee, and detailing the goods being carried. It's the same document whether the load is sawn timber bound for Porto or a truck of pallets heading to Frankfurt — the CMR note is the legal reference for the transport, regardless of destination within the European road network.
The CMR note travels physically with the goods from loading in Vimianzo through to delivery, and serves as the reference document for any issue that arises en route. Alongside it, we prepare the usual commercial paperwork for each order — invoice, delivery note — so the buyer has everything needed both to receive the goods and to record the intra-EU transaction on their own side.
The EU single market advantage
Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and Italy are all part of the EU single market and the Schengen area, meaning goods move between these countries without customs duties or border checks. For buyers with a VIES-verified intra-EU VAT number, B2B supply between businesses in different member states is typically VAT-exempt at origin under the reverse-charge mechanism — we won't state a specific VAT rate here, since that depends on the general framework applicable to each transaction.
This also simplifies packaging: ISPM 15 (NIMF-15) heat-treatment marking on pallets and other solid wood packaging is only required for shipments destined outside the EU, such as the UK. For a shipment to Portugal, France, Germany or Italy it isn't required, which removes a preparation step compared with exporting outside the EU, where additional customs formalities typically apply as well.
Full truckload consolidation: combining pellets, pallets and sawn timber
A standard European road trailer carries roughly 24-26 tonnes, or up to about 33 EPAL pallet positions. On many orders, that space is used more efficiently by combining several product lines on one truck — for example, wood pellets alongside EPAL pallets or a load of Galician sawn pine timber, rather than dedicating a full truckload to a single product. This kind of consolidation is common on export orders and helps make better use of transport cost when no single product fills the trailer on its own.
Each product uses a trailer differently: bagged or bulk pellets and EPAL pallets have different weight-to-volume ratios than sawn timber, so combining them often makes it possible to use both the maximum weight and the available space of the trailer. If your order doesn't fill a full truckload on its own, let us know what other product lines you could combine, and we'll help plan the load.
Export by country, and options for destinations outside the EU
Each destination country has its own distances and general timelines: see our dedicated export pages for Portugal, France, Germany and Italy, linked from this page, for route-specific detail. If your shipment is headed outside the European Union — the UK, for example — you'll need heat-treated pallets carrying ISPM-15 marking: see our ISPM-15 heat-treated pallets page for non-EU export.
Frequently asked questions
What's the minimum order for exporting timber from Vimianzo?
We don't set one fixed minimum across every destination — export orders are typically supplied by the full truckload, whether that's a single product or a combination of several. Contact our team to discuss the right volume for your order.
What paperwork travels with an international shipment?
International road freight travels with a CMR consignment note. If your business holds a VIES-verified intra-EU VAT number, the supply may qualify for the reverse-charge mechanism within the EU.
Do I need ISPM-15 marked pallets for a shipment to France or Germany?
No. ISPM-15 heat-treatment marking is only required for destinations outside the European Union. For shipments within the EU, including Portugal, France, Germany and Italy, it isn't a requirement.
Can pellets, pallets and sawn timber be combined on the same truck?
Yes. Consolidating several product lines onto one full truckload is common practice, making better use of trailer capacity rather than shipping each product separately.
