The shortest export lane out of India
Our group began working timber in Perumbavoor, Kerala, in 1986. Our factories sit about 40 km from Cochin Port, so a container that finishes loading in the morning can gate in at the terminal the same day. From there, Colombo is a 2-4 day sail. Few export lanes out of India are shorter.
A short lane changes how you can buy. Instead of holding months of stock against a long sail, you can order smaller lots more often, keep less capital tied up in inventory, and recover quickly when a project runs ahead of plan. The gap between paying your balance and receiving material is measured in days, not weeks.
The panel loaded for Colombo matches the spec sheet you approved: same thickness, same bond, same construction, shipment after shipment. Sri Lanka is one of several lanes we serve; the export hub covers the other markets we ship to.
What we ship to Sri Lanka
Four product lines cover most of what buyers in Sri Lanka source from India: packing-grade plywood for cases and crating, commercial plywood for furniture and interior work, marine plywood for boats and wet areas, and ready-made plywood boxes and crates for exporters who want packaging delivered, not built.
| Product | Grade / spec | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Packing-grade plywood | MR bond, IS 303 | 6, 8, 12, 15 and 18 mm are the usual thicknesses. Okoume face veneer available on request. |
| Commercial plywood | MR and BWR | Furniture, shopfitting, doors and general joinery. |
| Marine plywood | IS 710, BWP bond | Boat work, coastal construction, wet areas. |
| Plywood boxes and crates | ISPM-15 where required: solid-wood parts treated and marked by a DPPQS-registered provider; certificate where the quote states it | Ready-to-pack cases and crates, made to your internal dimensions. |
Construction buyers can add film-faced shuttering plywood to the same container. Mixed loads are normal on this lane; a 20 ft container split across two or three products is a standard order, not a special request.
ISFTA duty concessions are worth a question before you order
The India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) grants duty concessions on a wide range of Indian-origin goods entering Sri Lanka. Whether a particular plywood line qualifies, and at what rate, depends on the HS code, Sri Lanka's tariff schedule at the time of import and the rules-of-origin conditions attached to it.
We do not give customs rulings and we will not promise a duty outcome; your clearing agent in Colombo has the final word. What we do is practical: confirm the HS code we ship each product under, and prepare the certificate of origin and export documents a concession claim needs. Ask us about ISFTA eligibility for your HS code when you request a quote, and put the same question to your agent. Ten minutes of checking can change the landed cost of a container.
Terms, currency and paperwork
Export quotes are issued in USD. FOB Cochin is our default term; we quote CIF Colombo on request with sea freight included, so you can compare landed numbers directly. Standard products ship against 50 percent advance with the balance before dispatch; made-to-order and custom-fabricated goods are 100 percent advance. We accept bank transfer (T/T).
We warrant that the goods conform to the grade and standard on the proforma invoice at the time risk passes; technical data sheets are published for the IS 303, IS 710, film-faced and Okoume E1 grades, and others are available on request. Documentation is ready when the container sails: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin.
One point that surprises first-time importers: plywood panels are processed wood and exempt from ISPM-15 treatment, so bare panels need no heat-treatment stamp to clear. In the boxes and crates we build for onward export use, the solid wood is treated and IPPC-marked by a DPPQS-registered treatment provider where the destination requires it; the treatment method follows the destination's rules, and a treatment certificate is supplied where the quotation states it.