No Questions Asked The Impacts of U.S. Market Demand for Illegal Timber - Potential for Change

The United States, the world’s largest consumer of wood products, is a central player in driving the trade in illegally sourced timber. While reliable trade data for illegal goods is inherently scarce, estimates suggest that U.S. consumption of high-risk timber and wood products reaches 10% of the annual import stream – $3.8 billion in high-risk timber and wood products in 2006, not including pulp and paper. The astronomical growth of trade with China, a global intermediary for illegal wood from Russia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, is a major factor.