How to create a due diligence statement (DDS) in Coolset

Last updated: October 1, 2026

This article is for operators: companies that import EUDR products into the EU, export them out of it, or are the first to place them on the EU market. It explains what a due diligence statement is, what Coolset does and what happens in TRACES, how to generate a DDS from a purchase order, and how to plan DDS creation around your shipments and customs clearance.

What is a due diligence statement (DDS)?

A due diligence statement (DDS) is the declaration an operator submits to the EU Information System (TRACES) to confirm that due diligence was carried out and that the products present no or only negligible risk of deforestation or illegality.

A DDS is not the same as a risk assessment. The risk assessment is the analysis you do in Coolset on each origin and supplier. The DDS is the official statement filed in TRACES once that assessment passes. After submission, TRACES issues a reference number and a verification number. Your customs declaration needs the reference number.

What does Coolset do, and what happens in TRACES?

Coolset prepares the DDS and submits it to TRACES directly through the official EU TRACES API. You do not need to fill in a form in TRACES, upload geolocation files, or copy data across. Once TRACES accepts the DDS, Coolset retrieves the reference number and verification number and shows them on the purchase order.

In Coolset:

  • You collect supplier information, origin and geolocation data, legality documents, and supporting evidence through purchase orders.

  • You run the risk assessment per order and review the evidence bundle.

  • You generate the DDS and submit it to TRACES.

  • You store the DDS reference and verification number on the purchase order and pass them to linked customers.

  • You withdraw a DDS within the TRACES amendment window. (72 hours)

In TRACES (done by you, one time):

You register your company as an operator in TRACES with an EU Login account. Coolset cannot do this registration for you. Check with your operations or customs team first, because your company may already be registered.

What is not sent to TRACES: your evidence files, supplier questionnaires and risk assessment outcomes stay in Coolset. TRACES receives only the DDS data the regulation requires (see the next section).

Keep the evidence in Coolset for at least 5 years, because the competent authority can request it during a check.

Who is responsible: Coolset submits the DDS as your authorized representative. The DDS names your company as the operator and states that Coolset submitted it on your behalf. Your company keeps full legal responsibility for the content.

What information does a DDS contain?

A DDS contains the operator details, the product, the quantity and the origin. Coolset fills these from your company profile, the purchase order and the traced supply chain data:

  • Operator details: company name, address and identifier (EORI number for imports and exports), from your Company profile in Coolset.

  • Product: HS code and product description, from your product catalogue.

  • Quantity: net mass in kilograms (excluding packaging), plus a supplementary unit where applicable (for example m³ for wood), from the purchase order.

  • Country of production and geolocation of every plot of land, from your suppliers' origins.

  • Port of entry: the EU member state where the goods cross the border, from the purchase order.

  • Reference numbers of supplier DDSs, if an EU supplier already filed a DDS for the same goods.

Before you start: what you need

You can only generate a DDS when all required data is complete. Check these four things first:

  1. Your company profile is complete. Go to the dropdown in the top left corner and select Company profile. Fill in street address, postal code, city and an identifier. Use your EORI number for imports and exports. If these fields are empty, the DDS fails with the reason missing_company_details.

  2. Your company is registered as an operator in TRACES. This is the one step done outside Coolset.

  3. Every product on the order has an HS code and a net mass.

  4. The purchase order's related assessments are Passing or Mitigated. Coolset does not let you generate a DDS for an order with a failing or incomplete assessment.

Generate in TRACES is only available to the EU buyer of an order that enters the EU. On any other order the option is greyed out with the message "Only the EU buyer of an order entering the EU files a new statement. Verify an existing identifier instead." In that case, use Verify in TRACES to link the DDS your supplier already filed

How to generate a DDS

You generate a DDS from the purchase order (PO). Each PO gets its own DDS.

  1. Go to Purchase orders and open an order with the status Ready For Review and the label Traced.

  2. Review the origins and assessments in the platform, or download the evidence bundle to check the underlying documents. As the operator you are legally responsible for this data, so check the full chain.

  3. Open the Statements tab. An order without a DDS shows No statements yet.

  4. Click + Add statement and select Generate in TRACES.

  5. The statement shows Submitting to EU TRACES… and then Submitted to EU TRACES, awaiting details. Once TRACES makes the DDS available, usually within a few minutes, the reference number and verification number appear on the statement.

  6. The DDS is named after the purchase order reference. You can rename it from the ⋯ menu.

What if the DDS fails?

If TRACES or Coolset rejects the submission, the statement shows Failed with a reason. Fix the cause and click Retry. This creates a new statement and keeps the failed one for your records.

  • missing_company_details: complete your Company profile (address and EORI).

  • missing_plot_geometry: an origin has no valid geolocation. Ask the supplier to add it.

  • traces_unavailable: TRACES is temporarily down. Retry later.

  • traces_rejected: TRACES refused the data. Check the reason and correct the order or product data.

  • dds_not_submittable: the order does not meet the requirements above.

When is a DDS final, and can a supplier still change the data?

A DDS is final as soon as TRACES returns the reference number. When you generate a DDS, Coolset freezes (pins) the assessment and supply-chain data it was based on. If a supplier changes their data afterwards, the filed DDS does not change. You would need to generate a new DDS to include the new data.

Before you generate the DDS, suppliers can still update their origins and documents. The purchase order status shows you where it stands:

  • Waiting for supplier: the supplier, or a supplier further up the chain, still has to submit data.

  • Ready for review: all checks have passed. You act next.

  • Completed: the order has a DDS attached.

Can I withdraw or correct a DDS?

You can withdraw a DDS within 72 hours after TRACES issues the reference number. Open the statement, click ⋯ > Revoke, and Coolset withdraws it in TRACES. It is then treated as if it never existed, and you can generate a corrected DDS.

TRACES blocks the withdrawal if the reference number was already used in a customs declaration, if the goods were already placed on the market, if another DDS references it, or if a competent authority check is running. After 72 hours a DDS cannot be changed. If it is wrong, do not use it, and generate a new DDS.

What if my supplier already has a DDS?

If your supplier is in the EU and already filed a DDS for the goods, add their DDS to the purchase order instead of generating your own. Open the purchase order, go to the Statements tab, click + Add statement and select Verify in TRACES. Enter the EU TRACES identifier of the statement your supplier filed. Coolset checks the number in TRACES and links the statement to the order. When you later generate your own DDS, supplier DDSs on the order are included as referenced statements.

How do my customers get my DDS number?

If your customer is in Coolset and you link their sales order to your purchase order, they see the DDS reference number in their own workspace. You do not have to send it separately. Under the EUDR you must pass the DDS reference number to your first customer downstream.

FAQ

  1. Do I need to upload anything to TRACES myself? No. Coolset submits the DDS, including geolocation, through the TRACES API. The only thing you do in TRACES is the one-time operator registration.

  2. How long does it take to get the DDS reference number? Usually a few minutes. The statement shows awaiting details until TRACES makes the DDS available.

  3. Why is Generate in TRACES greyed out? Either your company is not the EU buyer of an order entering the EU, or required data is missing: company details, an HS code or net mass on a product, or a passing assessment. The text under the option explains which. If your supplier already filed a DDS, use Verify in TRACES instead.

  4. Can I see the DDS in my own TRACES account? A DDS that Coolset files on your behalf does not show up in your TRACES account list. You can look it up in TRACES with the reference number and verification number shown in Coolset.

  5. What happens if TRACES is down? The statement fails with traces_unavailable. Click Retry once TRACES is available again.