The first multilateral workshop to end global illegal logging involved the entire timber industry and was led by the U.S. Justice Department in Libreville, Gabon, May 18–22, according to Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and reported on by Wood Central.
The U.S. has a strong interest in removing illegal wood from the global supply chains because it breaches the Lacey Act and undercuts American producers, Gustafson said. Working with foreign trading partners bolsters the effort to prohibit illegal wood while strengthening legitimate commerce, he added.
The workshop gathered over 100 officials to Gabon’s capital city, including from “key harvesting nations, a leading processing and re-export hub and major consumer markets,” Wood Central reported. The officials—representing the entire wood supply chain from harvest to customs—discussed traceable wood systems, customs procedures, joint investigation techniques and opportunities for legitimate trade.
The third most lucrative form of international organized crime after counterfeiting and drug trafficking, illegal logging strips lawful producers and forest owners of billions of dollars every year, according to the anti-corruption group Global Financial Integrity.
