Correct identification of species in wood and charcoal commerce is important, and rapid and nondestructive evaluation based on near-infrared techniques can be a good alternative. Four trees from Combretum leprosum, Croton argyrophylloides, Jatropha mutabilis, Luetzelburgia auriculata, Mimosa tenuiflora and Poincianella bracteosa, were cut in a natural forest in the municipality of Coremas, Paraíba state and stem discs with thickness of about 80 mm were taken at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of commercial height. For charcoal production, each sample was wrapped in aluminum foil and carbonized in a muffle furnace, with a final temperature of 450 °C and a heating rate of 1.66 °C min-1. Spectra were collected directly from sample surface. The best pretreatment was second derivative, while the best classification method was PCA-LDA, and the analysis of full spectra (4000-10000 cm-1) was indicated. In classification, there was no difference between surfaces where spectra was collected, so in practice, in commercial control for example, the information can be obtained from any surface. For rapid analysis for purposes of control of forest practices or illegal commerce, spectra collected directly from wood and charcoal can be applied to distinguish these six Caatinga species.