Okoume face options for plywood.

Okoume is a face veneer, not a grade

Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana) is a West African hardwood with a pale, even-textured face and very little weight behind it. On the press line it is a face option, not a separate grade: choose the interior or packing plywood construction for the job, then specify Okoume faces on one or both sides. Any of our interior plywood constructions can be made with an Okoume face. The construction, glue line and tolerances stay those of the base panel. What the Okoume face adds is a clean, uniform surface that takes paint, print and lamination without telegraphing core defects through the finish.

For the species itself — where it grows, how it machines, and what its low density means in practice — see our profile of Okoume (Aucoumea klaineana) in Woods We Use.

Calibrated Okoume hardwood: 16 mm and 18 mm

This version combines an Okoume face, hardwood core and BWR (boiling-water-resistant) MUF (melamine-urea-formaldehyde) glue. Enquire for 16 mm or 18 mm and state the finished tolerance needed for your joinery or lamination process. Availability, core species, finish and any required documents are confirmed on the quote.

It is a separate construction from ordinary MR semi-hardwood and calibrated semi-hardwood. A calibrated finish alone does not establish an emission class or make the core semi-hardwood.

The separately specified E1 eucalyptus-core panel

For furniture, shopfitting and joinery export we also quote a dedicated E1 construction: Okoume face over a eucalyptus core, sanded to a held thickness, made to E1 formaldehyde emission class, with test certificates available on request for the lot quoted. A 16 mm sheet weighs about 32 kg — light enough to matter across a full container. We supply it bare, ready for your own finish, or HPL-laminated at the press so components arrive one step closer to assembly.

EU formaldehyde: confirm the article and its use

Reference review: 1 October 2026. REACH Annex XVII Entry 77 restricts placing covered articles on the EU market after 6 August 2026 where formaldehyde release exceeds the applicable limit. For furniture and wood-based articles, it is 0.062 mg/m³ under Appendix 14 conditions. E1 or CE documentation alone does not demonstrate this requirement.

Scope exceptions include exclusively outdoor use, certain construction articles outside the building envelope and vapour barrier without indoor emissions, and exclusively industrial/professional use without foreseeable general-public exposure. Other exceptions exist; use the full restriction and test conditions. Tell us the finished article, intended use and required evidence. Your importer must confirm scope and the applicable test basis before the construction is agreed.

Why export buyers specify Okoume

Two reasons come up on almost every enquiry. First, weight. A lighter panel adds sheets to a booking only when weight is the binding limit, as with dense loads or a low road limit; when the sheet layout sets the count, it lowers the gross weight at the same count instead. It also makes lighter crates for whatever those sheets become, and the container load estimator shows which limit applies. Packing-case makers who cut our packing plywood into export crates pass that saving straight to their own freight bills. Second, the face. Okoume gives plywood boxes and crates a smooth, brandable surface, and gives joinery shops a substrate that laminates cleanly without extra preparation.

Where we ship it

Three lanes carry most of our Okoume volume. The GCC — UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain — takes packing panels and calibrated boards alike. Israel is an Okoume-focused lane we quote on FOB Cochin terms only, with buyers clearing through Ashdod or Haifa; details are on the Israel export page. And Sri Lanka sits at the end of one of the shortest export runs from India — Kochi to Colombo in a typical two to four days on the water.

Okoume options at a glance

Each row is a separate construction. E1, the approximate 32 kg reference weight and the eucalyptus core apply only to the specified E1 panel, not automatically to every calibrated Okoume board. Sheet sizes, face combinations, availability and final tolerances are confirmed on the quote.

Okoume vs Gurjan face — how to choose

Okoume and Gurjan are the two face veneers we press most often. Both sit on the same MR (IS 303) or BWR base; the choice is about finish, weight and cost.

Buyers who compare imported Birch-faced panels usually specify Birch only for high-end visible furniture faces; for export packing and most joinery, an Okoume or Gurjan face on a hardwood core is the practical choice. Tell us the end use and we advise the face.

The ISPM-15 position

Plywood is processed wood, so the panels themselves are exempt from ISPM-15 — no heat-treatment stamp is needed on an Okoume sheet crossing a border. That exemption is one of the quiet advantages of plywood packing over solid-wood packing. Where an order includes assembled boxes or crates with solid-timber members, those members are treated and IPPC-marked to ISPM-15 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, with destination acceptance confirmed by the importer before dispatch.

Commercial terms

Export quotes are in USD, FOB Cochin by default — and FOB only for Israel. Standard products move on 50% advance with the balance before dispatch; made-to-order specifications are against 100% advance. We accept bank transfer (T/T). Within India, supply is ex-factory from Kochi with GST and transport extra. Goods conform to the grade and standard on your proforma invoice when risk passes. Send thickness, sheet size, face requirement, monthly quantity and destination, and a written quote comes back within one business day.

FAQ

Is Okoume plywood a separate grade?

No. Okoume is a face veneer. It can be paired with MR packing or semi-hardwood, calibrated BWR hardwood, or a separately specified E1 eucalyptus-core panel. Choose the core, bond and finish; the face name alone does not identify them.

How much does the E1 eucalyptus-core 16 mm Okoume panel weigh?

About 32 kg per nominal 8 × 4 ft sheet for that specific E1 eucalyptus-core construction. The weight of a different calibrated BWR hardwood panel is confirmed separately; calibration and face name alone do not determine sheet weight.

Do you export Okoume plywood to Israel?

Yes. Israel is one of our main Okoume lanes. We quote in USD on FOB Cochin terms only, and buyers typically clear cargo through Ashdod or Haifa.

Does Okoume plywood need ISPM-15 treatment?

No. Plywood is processed wood and exempt from ISPM-15, so panels ship without treatment stamps. Assembled boxes or crates that include solid-timber members have those members treated and IPPC-marked by a DPPQS-registered treatment provider where the destination requires it, and a treatment certificate is supplied where the quotation states it.

What thicknesses and sheet sizes does Okoume plywood come in?

Packing and semi-hardwood thicknesses depend on the selected base. The calibrated BWR hardwood option is quoted in 16 mm and 18 mm; the E1 eucalyptus-core reference panel is 16 mm. The standard sheet is 8×4 ft (2440×1220 mm). Send the construction, thickness, face and sheet size for availability confirmation.

How much does Okoume plywood cost in India?

Price depends on the base grade, thickness, sheet size and order volume, so we quote per specification rather than list a shelf price. Send your thickness, quantity and delivery location or export port and a written quote comes back within one business day.

Okoume or Gurjan face — which should I choose?

Okoume is a pale, uniform, lighter face that paints and lacquers cleanly, preferred for export packing and painted furniture. Gurjan is a denser, reddish-brown face that is harder-wearing and more economical, common on heavy-duty packing and shuttering. Both press onto the same MR or BWR base; you pick the face and the grade.

What core sits under the Okoume face?

The core depends on the construction: packing plywood may use rubberwood or eucalyptus; ordinary semi-hardwood uses a semi-hardwood core; calibrated BWR Okoume uses a hardwood core. The separately specified E1 board uses eucalyptus. The quote names the construction selected.

Is Okoume plywood the same as marine plywood?

No. Okoume is a face veneer; marine plywood is defined by its glue bond and construction (IS 710 BWP). You can have an Okoume face on a BWR base for humid routes, but a true marine panel is specified by grade, not by face.

What is the minimum order for Okoume plywood export?

We load to container quantities for export and quote FOB Cochin in USD. A 20 ft or 40 ft load is the usual minimum for a sea shipment; LCL consolidation is available where the route and quantity allow, confirmed on the quote, and smaller trial quantities can be arranged for sampling.

Can you supply Okoume plywood laminated or with an HPL finish?

The specified E1 eucalyptus-core Okoume board can be quoted bare or pressed with HPL for finished joinery and furniture parts. State the base construction and laminate; the quotation confirms the finished panel.

What emission class does your Okoume board carry?

The separately specified E1 eucalyptus-core panel is made to E1 emission class, with a test report for the lot quoted available on request. This does not establish the emission class of every Okoume or calibrated BWR board. Specify the exact construction and document requirement in your enquiry.