Avoiding Illegal Timber in China: Due Diligence Recommendations

A new EIA investigation shows that many Japanese companies are not conducting due diligence to avoid sourcing illegal wood products in China. Due diligence is key tool used by European, American and Australian companies to comply with domestic legislation requiring them to take steps to keep illegal timber out of their global supply chains. In early 2016, EIA conducted undercover visits to four Chinese suppliers of furniture and wood products – three of the four companies stated that their Japanese buyers never ask about the legal sourcing of their raw materials. In the fourth case, Itochu and Sojitz asked for documentation of legal harvest for Russian pine, following media reports about illegal Russian timber in Japan. These cases indicate that due diligence is possible in China, but not common as Japanese law does not require this of companies.

Read the Avoiding Illegal Timber in China: Due Diligence Recommendations for Japanese Wood Buyers here.

To read this report in Japanese, click here.