Congrats, Seihoku: first EPDs for structural plywood
Seihoku just put verified numbers behind what builders already buy them for. A first wave of Environmental Product Declarations landed in January 2026, giving specifiers clean, third‑party data for structural plywood. That flips submittals from “we’ll get back to you” to download‑and‑go, which is where bids are won.
What launched in January
Seihoku published three product‑specific EPDs for structural plywood in January 2026. Scope reads as product families, with thickness ranges and domestic species spelled out. The declarations are verified and published with EPD Hub, referencing the EN 16485 ruleset for wood and wood‑based products.
Who Seihoku is, at a glance
Seihoku manufactures wood panels and structural wood products for construction, centered on JAS‑certified plywood and engineered wood made from Japanese species such as sugi and larch. The customer set spans building suppliers and contractors that need reliable, repeatable panel performance for sheathing, subfloor, and formwork.
Why this matters in specs
EPDs remove the conservative penalty that many teams apply when a product lacks a product‑specific declaration. With Seihoku’s plywood now documented, quantity takeoffs and whole‑building LCAs slot in faster. Think of it like switching from a fuzzy screenshot to the original file. Submittals get approved sooner, and pricing discussions stay about value instead of workarounds.
Work for Seihoku or competing against them?
Follow us for a detailed product-by-product analysis of Seihoku’s plywood EPDs to see how they stack up against Metsä Wood and Roseburg.
Competitive snapshot
Metsä Wood has long published EPDs for spruce and birch plywood as well as LVL under The International EPD System, so coverage in structural panels is well established on their side. Roseburg shows current EPDs for hardwood plywood and other wood lines, verified with UL, and remains visible across North American submittal workflows. See their recent profile here: Roseburg Forest Products.
What this means competitively is straightforward. Seihoku has entered the transparency arena in a category where global players already show documentation. That narrows the gap for plywood packages and keeps more projects in play rather than defaulting to brands with paperwork ready.
Operator and ruleset
All three declarations are published with EPD Hub. The cited Product Category Rule is EN 16485 for wood and wood‑based products used in construction. For teams comparing across brands, that common rulebook is the Monopoly board that keeps the game fair.
Where to find them
We looked for download links on Seihoku’s public site and could not locate EPD pages or PDFs as of February 5, 2026. Visibility matters. Adding an easy‑to‑find EPD hub on the website shortens submittal loops and reduces friction for distributors and GCs. It’s low effort, high return.
What to do next
If plywood is a revenue driver, keep building coverage across adjacent families where specifications frequently cross over, like LVL or CLT. Pick an LCA partner who owns the data wrangling so plant and R&D teams aren’t stuck in spreadsheet purgatory. That is how enviromental documentation stays accurate without slowing operations.
The takeaway
Seihoku’s first‑ever plywood EPDs, issued in January 2026, make their panels easier to specify and compare. In a category where Metsä Wood and Roseburg already show their numbers, Seihoku now shows up to the same conversation with verified data. That is the move that keeps bids live and lets performance speak for itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which product types did Seihoku cover in its first wave of EPDs?
Three product‑specific EPDs for structural plywood with family‑level scope, covering thickness ranges and domestic species.
Which program operator published Seihoku’s EPDs?
EPD Hub published and verified the declarations. See our operator explainer: EPD Hub.
What PCR do these EPDs reference?
EN 16485 for wood and wood‑based products for use in construction.
Do key competitors have plywood EPDs today?
Yes. Metsä Wood and Roseburg both list current plywood‑category EPDs, so Seihoku’s new coverage brings them into parity for documentation in many specs.
Where can specifiers download Seihoku’s EPDs?
As of February 5, 2026, we could not find EPD downloads on Seihoku’s website. Publishing a dedicated page with the PDFs is recommended to speed submittals.
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.
