TRACES by hand, document platform or API: three ways to comply with the EUDR
Every due diligence statement (DDS) ends up in TRACES. What changes is who gathers the data, who checks it and who submits it. Here are the three options, what each does well and when it suits you.
The three options
By hand in TRACES
You fill in the TRACES NT web form for each statement: product, quantity, country, suppliers and the GeoJSON file of the plots. It costs nothing but the time of whoever does it.
EUDR document platform
A due diligence platform that collects documents and data from suppliers, helps with the risk assessment and prepares the information. You still submit in TRACES yourself.
Sourevo
Collects your suppliers' data in their portal, checks the plots by satellite and before sending, submits the DDS through the TRACES API with your credentials and brings back the reference number.
Point by point
What each option does for the tasks Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 requires.
| Task | By hand in TRACES | EUDR document platform | Sourevo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who submits to TRACES? | You, statement by statement in the web form. | You: the platform prepares the data and you enter it in TRACES. | Sourevo, through the official TRACES API with your credentials. It also amends and withdraws. |
| Several companies and authorised representative | Possible in TRACES, typing each customer's data into each statement. | Depends on the product: check it if you represent other companies. | Forwarders plan with 10 companies included and the authorised representative role. Each company with its own suppliers and DDS. |
| Supplier data | By email and spreadsheets. | Often its strong point: supplier questionnaires and documents. | Supplier portal in 12 languages with no account needed, or you upload what they sent and the supplier confirms it. |
| GeoJSON validation | TRACES rejects a malformed file on upload. The rest you check yourself. | Usual. Worth asking what exactly is checked. | Valid geometry, the 4 ha rule (point or polygon) and duplicate plots skipped on upload. |
| Satellite check | Not included: you do it yourself with public maps. | Varies: some include it, others do not. | Every plot against the EU 2020 forest map and later tree cover loss, with Global Forest Watch. Included in every plan. |
| Check before submitting | Errors show up when you submit in TRACES. | Varies by platform. | Blocks and warnings before sending: missing data, rejected plots, country risk, pending satellite check. |
| Reference number for customs | You look it up in TRACES and copy it into the customs declaration. | You look it up in TRACES and copy it. | Arrives on its own with the synced status, and by webhook to your ERP if you connect it. |
| ERP and API | None. The TRACES API exists, but you would have to build the integration. | Depends on the product. | REST API and signed webhooks from the Pro plan. |
| Price model | Free. The cost is the time each statement takes. | Usually a subscription. The basis varies: users, suppliers or volume. | Per statement accepted by TRACES: packs from €390 for 10 DDS a year, or Pro at €2,990 a year with 150. Excluding VAT. |
| Best for | A few statements a year and a simple supply chain. | Documentation-focused teams that are happy to submit themselves. | Importers with recurring shipments, freight forwarders and customs agents, and anyone who wants to connect their ERP. |
The document platform column describes the category in general: every product is different, so ask about these points when you evaluate one.
When doing it by hand is enough
TRACES is free and the web form works. If this is you, you probably do not need software:
- You submit a few statements a year.
- You have one or two suppliers who already send you clean GeoJSON for their plots.
- There are few plots and they do not change from one shipment to the next.
- You do not submit on behalf of other companies.
- Someone on your team already knows TRACES and has time for each statement.
When a tool pays off
The work grows with every shipment, supplier and plot. A tool starts saving time and mistakes when:
- You have shipments every month or several commodities.
- Several suppliers have to send you geolocation and need chasing.
- A supplier has hundreds of plots to review.
- You are a freight forwarder or customs agent submitting as your customers' authorised representative.
- You want the reference number to reach your ERP or customs declaration without copying it.
- You need an orderly record to keep for 5 years and show in an inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit the DDS directly in TRACES without software?
Yes. TRACES NT is free: you need an EU Login account and to register your company as an operator. For a few statements a year it is a reasonable option. Software is optional and only pays off when the volume or the number of suppliers justifies it.
What is the difference between an EUDR document platform and submitting through the TRACES API?
A document platform organises the due diligence data and documents, but you submit in TRACES yourself. With the API, the tool sends the statement to TRACES, receives the reference number and follows its status, and it also amends or withdraws without opening the web form.
Does Sourevo need my TRACES credentials?
To submit for real, yes: your company's TRACES "Web Services Access" username and key, stored encrypted and revocable whenever you want. During the 14-day trial, statements go to the TRACES test environment with Sourevo's test account, with no legal value and without asking you for anything.
Can a freight forwarder submit its customers' DDS?
Yes, as the operator's authorised representative, with a written mandate. Customs representation alone is not enough. In Sourevo, the Forwarders plan manages several companies from one account and submits with that role in TRACES.
Try it with your own data
14 days free with your real suppliers and plots. Statements go to the TRACES test environment, with no legal value. You only pay for the DDS that TRACES accepts in production.