Export document
ISPO certificate
Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil is a national certification scheme run by the Indonesian government, and it is mandatory for palm oil businesses in Indonesia. It is a legality and good practice scheme under Indonesian law rather than a voluntary market standard.
The essentials.
- It is national and mandatory
- The scheme is established in Indonesian regulation and applies to palm oil businesses operating in Indonesia, including plantations and mills.1
- It certifies compliance with Indonesian requirements
- Legality of the land, permits, environmental and labour requirements as set out in Indonesian law, verified by accredited certification bodies.1
- Smallholders are inside the scheme
- The framework extends to smallholders, which matters because smallholders produce a large share of Indonesian palm oil.1
- It sits alongside voluntary schemes
- Producers frequently hold a voluntary international certification as well. The two answer different questions and neither replaces the other.
Who asks for it.
This travels with the goods wherever they go. Either Indonesia requires it on the way out, or it is an ordinary trade document that any buyer, bank and carrier expects to see.
What it does not cover.
It is not a deforestation due diligence statement
European deforestation rules require the operator placing goods on the EU market to hold geolocation data and a due diligence statement. An ISPO certificate is evidence you may use inside that exercise and it does not discharge it.
It is not a market standard your customer knows
European and North American buyers usually ask for a voluntary scheme by name. Explaining what ISPO is and offering it instead rarely satisfies a retail specification.
Certification is of the operator, not the load
Check the scope and validity of the certificate and how the certified material is segregated or accounted for, because a certificate on the wall says nothing about the oil in your tank.
Questions buyers ask.
Is ISPO the same as RSPO?
No. ISPO is a mandatory Indonesian government scheme built around Indonesian law. The voluntary international schemes are market instruments with different criteria and different recognition, and buyers typically ask for those by name.
Does it satisfy the EU deforestation regulation?
Not by itself. That regulation puts a due diligence obligation on the operator placing goods on the EU market, requiring geolocation and a statement. Certification can support your due diligence without replacing it.
Should I ask my supplier for it?
Yes, because it is mandatory in Indonesia and its absence is a question worth asking. Treat it as a legality signal rather than as the sustainability credential your own customers are asking for.
Where this comes up.
Indonesian palm oil
ISPO is law and RSPO is voluntary, and they answer to different people. What a palm oil contract has to carry, and what changes in Europe from December 2026.
Indonesian palm kernel shell
A mill by-product sold as fuel on calorific value and moisture. What buyers specify, and where the sustainability paperwork sits.
EUDR and Indonesian goods
What the EU Deforestation Regulation covers, the 30 December 2026 deadline, Indonesia's standard-risk classification, and why an SVLK certificate does not answer it.
Worth reading.
Sources
- 1Presidential Regulation 16/2025 on the Indonesian sustainable palm oil certification system. Database Peraturan, Republic of Indonesia. Checked 5 August 2026.
Need this document for a real shipment?
Tell us the product and the destination port. We come back with the full document set for that route, who issues each one, and how long it takes.