Industry, environmental groups commend new U.S. ban on illegal wood imports The United States has taken the critical step of passing legislation banning the import, sale or trade of illegally harvested wood and forest products. This new law will help level the playing field that is currently stacked against U.S. forest product manufacturers who are committed to trading in legal forest products.

An unusual coalition of industry associations, environmental groups and labor unions joined in hailing the law as groundbreaking. The diverse coalition is united against the effects of illegal logging on forests and communities in developing countries, as well as the impacts it has on law-abiding forestry operations and jobs in the U.S. Illegal logging costs the American forest products industry an estimated $460 million each year in lost export sales.

The Lacey Act, the law this legislation has amended, has always established the clear distinction between companies that are knowingly trading illegal material versus those that are taking measures to ensure their product has been legally sourced. But for companies to fully avoid the risk of seizure and forfeiture, they must ensure their wood is legal. This law will change the equation to reward responsible practices and root out timber trade crime.

The legislation was designed to protect forests worldwide from deforestation and to prevent illegal wood products from entering into the U.S., which undermines the competitiveness of legally harvested and traded forest product. Passage of this law provides a fair and equitable approach that other countries can adopt to stop international trade in illegal wood products.

Alexander von Bismarck,
Executive Director,
Environmental Investigation Agency