Those caught knowingly selling illegal timber in the UK could face up to five years in prison and a £100,000 fine as part of a new bill being tabled by Barry Gardiner MP.
Mr Gardiner, the prime minister’s special envoy for forests, is introducing the legislation to the House of Commons as a private member’s bill with the backing of Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs.
It will make trading in timber illegally harvested, sold, taken or possessd from its country of origin an offence, as well as timber exported illegally through a secondary country.
“[Itl will] make it an offence to for any importer or distributor to sell or distribute in the UK any wood harvested, manufactured or otherwise dealt with illegally in the country from which the wood originated or through which it passed or was transhipped,” Mr Gardiner told the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The bill includes a “sliding scale of stiff penalties”, according to Mr Gardiner, including situations where “the importer has done all they honestly could, but has unknowingly traded illegal goods”, where a £5,000 fine could be levied through the Magistrates’ Courts.
“Critically, this bill will protect UK businesses and workers that currently have to compete on an uneven playing field that pits honest merchants against rogue traders,” said Mr Gardiner.
“Rogue traders continue to sell inappropriately low-cost timber products made from illegally sourced wood and this bill seeks to end that trade here in the UK.”
For more information see the next issue of TTJ.
