The following charts indicate which of "the selected countries" are likely to supply the greatest quantity of each of the selected products - and implicitly suggest priorities for scrutiny by Competent Authorities and Monitoring Organisations.

"The selected countries" comprise all countries other than Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, the USA and all EU member states.

Timber sector products are defined in this and related documents as all products classified in the UN Harmonised System under the following headings: 4403 to 4421 inclusive, 940161, 940169, 94019030, 940330, 940340, 940350, 940360, and 94039030.

Paper sector products are defined in this and related documents as all products classified in the UN Harmonised System under the following headings: 44012, 44013, 4701 to 4705 inclusive, and 48.

The source on which statistics for the imports of EU member states is Eurostat Estimates of roundwood equivalent ("RWE") volume have been derived from source data as indicated in http://www.globaltimber.org.uk/RWEvolume.htm

Index

The UK's imports of specific wood-based products (2010, estimated roundwood equivalent volume)

The UK's imports of specific wood-based products (2010, import value)

Trend in imports of wood-based products from the selected countries (2000-2010)

Imports of specific wood-based products from selected countries by the UK (2010):

 

All countries, Timber Sector and Paper Sector (RWE volume)
Congo Basin, Eastern Europe and West Africa (not shown) very small relative to the total from High Risk countries.

All countries, Timber Sector and Paper Sector (import value)
China as large as the largest EU supplier and much larger than anywhere outside the EU. Consequently, prospective Monitoring Organisations should not be deemed eligible unless they demonstrate a thorough understanding of legality in chains of supply to and from China.

Trend in imports of wood-based products from the selected countries (2000-2010)
China has become very significant since about 2004. Malaysia largely displaced Indonesia in the supply of plywood during the first half of last decade. China seems to have displaced Brazil as a supplier of plywood. Imports of sawn wood (predominantly from Russia) declined steeply at the end of last decade. Volume of logs very small relative to total.

Imports of logs from the selected countries
Very small volumes.

Imports of sawn wood from the selected countries
Dominated by Russia. Small but nevertheless significant quantities from several other countries.

Imports of veneer from the selected countries
Very small volumes.

Imports of plywood from the selected countries
Volume from China similar to sum of volumes from the other selected countries. Imports from China require particular scrutiny given the likelihood that (1) their outer ply derives from illegal timber imported into China, (2) their core derives from trees grown in China with a supply chain associated with illegality, (3) fraud, etc. Most supplies from Malaysia now derive from trees grown in Peninsular Malaysia in compliance with the MTCC scheme.

Imports of other panels from the selected countries
Very small quantities - given that supplies of larger quantities of other products are more likely to include Illegal Timber.

Imports of mouldings & joinery from the selected countries
Supplied primarily from China. Particularly high levels of due diligence required in all cases, except those from Peninsular Malaysia and South Africa - especially supplies from China (most of which probably derive from Illegal Timber imported into China).

Imports of wooden furniture from the selected countries
Predominantly from China - and therefore requiring particularly high levels of scrutiny (as indicated at Plywood above). Levels of scrutiny for supplies from the other countries depends particularly on the species used (rubberwood is low risk).

Imports of other Timber Sector products from the selected countries
Predominantly China (as wooden picture frames, ornaments, kitchenware, etc).

Imports of wood chips & residues from the selected countries
Very small quantities.

Imports of wood-based pulp from the selected countries
Predominantly from Brazil.

Imports of paper from the selected countries
Primarily from China and Brazil.Supplies from China might derive partly from Indonesian pulp - and therefore warrant particular scrutiny.

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