Illegal timber
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Belarus timber flows to EU circumventing sanctions via Central Asia
Belarus is circumventing EU sanctions by exporting its timber to EU countries using false documents claiming that the wood comes from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, a Belarusian investigative website revealed on Tuesday (20 December). In March 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine via Belarusian territory, the European Union banned imports of some Belarusian wood. To circumvent the sanctions, Belarus timber kept arriving to the usual clients with false documents, according to the investigative website “Belarusian Investigative Centre” (BIC). The scheme should have raised suspicion in the EU because it has led to a 74-fold increase of wood exports from Kazakhstan and 18,000-fold surge from Kyrgyzstan in 2022, compared to the previous year. According to the investigation, which was made in cooperation with Siena (Lithuania), Kloop (Kyrgyzstan), Vlast (Kazakhstan),... Continue reading
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December 21, 2022
Belarus timber flows to EU circumventing sanctions via Central Asia
Belarus is circumventing EU sanctions by exporting its timber to EU countries using false documents claiming that the wood comes from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, a Belarusian investigative website revealed on Tuesday (20 December). In March 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine via Belarusian territory, the European Union banned imports of some Belarusian wood. To circumvent the sanctions, Belarus timber kept arriving to the usual clients with false documents, according to the investigative website “Belarusian Investigative Centre” (BIC). The scheme should have raised suspicion in the EU because it has led to a 74-fold increase of wood exports from Kazakhstan and 18,000-fold surge from Kyrgyzstan in 2022, compared to the previous year. According to the investigation, which was made in cooperation with Siena (Lithuania), Kloop (Kyrgyzstan), Vlast (Kazakhstan),... Continue reading
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August 19, 2016
US government confirms illegal timber imports from Peru
In a report released yesterday by the U.S. government, Peruvian timber imported to the United States in January 2015 has been identified as largely illegally sourced, offering the latest example of illicit timber trafficking from Peru to the United States. As reported by the EIA,... Continue reading
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December 21, 2022
Belarus timber flows to EU circumventing sanctions via Central Asia
Belarus is circumventing EU sanctions by exporting its timber to EU countries using false documents claiming that the wood comes from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, a Belarusian investigative website revealed on Tuesday (20 December). In March 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine via Belarusian territory, the European Union banned imports of some Belarusian wood. To circumvent the sanctions, Belarus timber kept arriving to the usual clients with false documents, according to the investigative website “Belarusian Investigative Centre” (BIC). The scheme should have raised suspicion in the EU because it has led to a 74-fold increase of wood exports from Kazakhstan and 18,000-fold surge from Kyrgyzstan in 2022, compared to the previous year. According to the investigation, which was made in cooperation with Siena (Lithuania), Kloop (Kyrgyzstan), Vlast (Kazakhstan),... Continue reading
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EIA: Japan imports illegal Russian timber
Significant quantities of illegal timber products from the forests of Siberia and the Russian Far East are flowing into Japan, according to a new report by the US-based nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). While the United States and European Union have recently enacted new policies that prohibit the import of illegally sourced wood and wood products and require companies to conduct heightened due diligence in their sourcing practices, Japan's failure to enact similar measures makes it an open market for illegal timber products from around the world, says EIA. The report, The Open Door: Japan's Continuing Failure to Prevent Imports of Illegal Russian Timber, details supply chains for illegally cut Siberian pine, bought by Chinese traders and imported to China, manufactured into wood products and sold on markets all over Japan. In undercover interviews, officials... Continue reading
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August 10, 2016
China and EU working together to combat illegal timber trade
The EU and China established a Bilateral Coordination Mechanism (BCM) on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG) in 2009, following an EU-China Forest Law Enforcement and Governance conference in Beijing in 2007. Through the BCM, the EU and China work together to stop illegal logging and the associated trade in illegal timber. The BCM is a forum for policy dialogue and a mechanism for sharing information on policies and legal frameworks and for coordinating initiatives end illegal logging. The EU FLEGT Facility has released an update on the BCM which can be found at www.euflegt.efi.int/eu-china. The update says “Under the BCM, China and the EU are exploring approaches to recognise legality verification schemes for timber and timber products managed by timber-exporting countries, including those from countries participating in FLEGT VPAs. This includes a trilateral dialogue... Continue reading
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August 19, 2016
US government confirms illegal timber imports from Peru
In a report released yesterday by the U.S. government, Peruvian timber imported to the United States in January 2015 has been identified as largely illegally sourced, offering the latest example of illicit timber trafficking from Peru to the United States. As reported by the EIA,... Continue reading
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March 17, 2016
Ghana: 80% of the timber is illegally harvested
As it has been recently announced by Nii Osah Mills, the The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in Ghana, 80% of the timber used in the country is coming from illegal sources. As Mills added, this can only affect the progress of the sector, according to Ghana Web. He expressed his dissatisfaction toward the actions of chainsaw operators in front of participants at a ‘voluntary partnership agreement’ (VPA) ceremony in Accra, on Wednesday. The ceremony took place in order for the Minister to reinforce the certification and licensing of timber in Ghana and was organized by the government and the EU. The VPA was signed to make sure that Ghana only exports legal timber products to the EU and that it sells legal timber on its domestic market. But now, the illegal activities are taking over the timber trade and they also affect the image and actions of legal entities. “The... Continue reading
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December 21, 2022
Belarus timber flows to EU circumventing sanctions via Central Asia
Belarus is circumventing EU sanctions by exporting its timber to EU countries using false documents claiming that the wood comes from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, a Belarusian investigative website revealed on Tuesday (20 December). In March 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine via Belarusian territory, the European Union banned imports of some Belarusian wood. To circumvent the sanctions, Belarus timber kept arriving to the usual clients with false documents, according to the investigative website “Belarusian Investigative Centre” (BIC). The scheme should have raised suspicion in the EU because it has led to a 74-fold increase of wood exports from Kazakhstan and 18,000-fold surge from Kyrgyzstan in 2022, compared to the previous year. According to the investigation, which was made in cooperation with Siena (Lithuania), Kloop (Kyrgyzstan), Vlast (Kazakhstan),... Continue reading