US Bans Illegally Harvested Wood

Effective November 18, all importers must declare each type of wood being imported and where it was cut.

by Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 9/5/2008

Attention wood importers: Beginning November 18, your shipments will be turned away at the US border unless the wood’s species and origin can be documented. In a move long sought by social, environmental and business groups, the United States Congress has passed an amendment to the Lacey Act that bans the import, sale or trade of any illegally harvested wood and forest products.

The United States, which is the world’s largest consumer of wood products, previously had no legal remedy to stem the influx of wood sourced illegally overseas. This amendment now enables the federal government to do battle by applying the Lacey Act, originally passed in 1900 and typically invoked to stop tropical birds, elephant ivory or tiger skins from entering the country.

In wake of the amendment’s passage, the Forest Stewardship Council issued a statement to remind importers that FSC’s certification process, which includes standards for both forest management and supply chain-of-custody, provides “credible verification” of legality for imported wood.

Groups such as the Environmental Investigation Agency and the Tropical Forest Trust agree, with Alexander von Bismark, executive director of the Environmental Investigation Agency, calling FSC certification “an important tool” in demonstrating compliance with the new law.