Decline in Burmese timber smuggling across Chinese border, figures show

Imports into China have dropped by 70% but continue to pose a threat to one of the world's last virgin forests, according to Global Witness阅读中文 Read this in Chinese
Jonathan Watts, Asia environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 22 October 2009 08.42 BST
Improved Chinese border controls have dramatically slowed imports of illegally logged wood from Burma, but smuggling continues to pose a threat to one of the world's last virgin forests, according to a new report by Global Witness.
The environmental group noted the cross-border trade of logs and planks fell by more than 70% between 2005 and 2008. Field investigators also noted that many saw mills have closed, warehouses are empty and the traffic of timber on the roads visibly declined.
"These numbers are so fantastic, I'm surprised," said the group's forest policy expert, Jon Buckrell. "Clearly action taken by authorities in China and Burma to combat illegal logging in Kachin state has had a significant positive impact."
But he cautioned that the problem of illegal logging in Burma and imports in China was far from solved.
Although Burma has much of the world's last virgin forest – including 60% of the globe's teak trees – it has recently suffered one of the fastest rates of deforestation in the world as the cash-strapped military regime in Rangoon and rebel groups on the border felled teak, mandrake and Chinese coffin trees at an unsustainable rate.
Most of the wood is sold to Chinese furniture and flooring firms, which make products for consumers in Europe and the United States.
Despite the slow-down, the trade continues. In the new report, A Disharmonious Trade, Global Witness investigators found that 13 of the 14 firms they visited were able to obtain timber from Myanmar despite the restrictions.
According to the customs figures in the neighbouring Chinese province of Yunnan, 270,000 m3 of logs, and 170,000 m3 of sawn timber were imported in 2008. Global Witness estimates that 90% of this amount was illegally felled.
The group said smugglers use "bribery, false papers, transportation at night and avoiding checkpoints" to get around the restrictions on sending the wood across the border.
China also continues to import large quantities of timber from Russia, Indonesia, Africa and South America, much of it illegally logged, for reprocessing into goods for the domestic and overseas markets.
Conservationists warn that the trade is unlikely to be halted until consumers are better informed about where wood originates and importing nations take tougher actions. They want China and Europe to enact laws similar to the US Lacey Act, which prohibits the trade of illegal logged wood.
"Burma accounts for just a small fraction of China's wood. Stopping trade on this border won't stop the problem of illegal imports," said Buckrell. The problem is worldwide. Global Witness estimate China accounts for about a quarter of the global trade in illegal timber.
The end users also share responsibility. The group says the UK imports more illegal timber than any other EU country because it buys so much from China. Despite the Lacey Act, US companies still advertise Burmese wood flooring on their websites, it said.
China's Foreign Ministry and Myanmar's Forestry Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
• This article was amended on 22 October 2009. It was published while still awaiting clarification from the reporter about information on timber imports to Yunnan. This information has now been added.