

What the EU-ITTO IMM and policy personnel should consider - concerning trade in "tropical timber" "Tropical timber is here defined as commodities ts imported direct from tropical countries if their customs codes commence with 4403 (logs), 4407 (sawn wood), 4408 (veneer), 4409 (mouldings), 4412 (plywood) - unless they derive from eucalyptus, plantation teak, or coniferous species Source: based on Eurostat (CN8, monthly) and China Customs (including China Customs Statistics Yearbook [2000-2004 inclusive])
China and EU - imports of logs and sawn wood from Cameroon China and EU - imports of logs and sawn wood from Central African Republic *Note: EU imports have increased during the civil war* China and EU - imports of logs and sawn wood from Republic of Congo China and EU - imports of logs and sawn wood from Democratic Republic of Congo China and EU - imports of logs and sawn wood from Equatorial Guinea China and EU - imports of logs, sawn wood, veneer and plywood from Gabon China and EU - imports of logs and sawn wood from Ghana China and EU - imports of logs and sawn wood from Ivory Coast China and EU - imports of logs and sawn wood from Liberia
The charts above should be of interest to the EU (including the EC and EU Member States - and their contractors and periodic auditors / evaluators). They should do so in the context of the FLEGT Action Plan (and VPAs - specifically their legality assurance systems). The imply that - in addition to the supply of timber for end-usage in tropical countries which allow logging and forest clearance - addressing the export of logs should be central to efforts to improve forest governance in these African countries. One country - China - accounts for the great majority of the volume of logs exported (- the charts do not show exports to countries other than China and EU Member States, other webpages of this site provide a comprehensive overview).. Clearly therefore, the sorts of supply chain which charcterise exports to China should be the primary focus of those efforts (- both directly in the country of production and also by targeted implementation of EC Regulation 995/2010, the "EUTR", by Competent Authorities in EU Member States). The EU has contributed actively to those efforts for more than a decade, particularly during recent years. However, there seems to be little evidence that the need to focus on those sorts of supply chain is recognised let alone accepted by the EU - which begs the question "Why?".
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