Setting the Story Straight The U.S. Lacey Act: Separating Myth from Reality

In 2008 the United States amended its long-standing Lacey Act to prohibit commerce in illegally sourced plants, including wood products. The new law is a significant change for the forest products sector, creating a previously non-existent level of responsibility all along the supply chain. Abiding by the Lacey Act will require many companies in the U.S. and abroad to make changes to their business practices. Inevitably, new laws and requirements create some confusion and misconceptions. In this document we try to clarify some of the most frequent myths about what the Lacey Act actually says and what ‘compliance’ with this law entails.