Double digit growth in French and Italian tropical veneer imports. According to ’ITTO,imports of tropical veneer into France and Italy, now the largest EU markets for tropical veneer, both registered double-digit growth in 2015, rising 15% to 116,258 cu.m and 19% to 67,626 cu.m, respectively. There were also significant increases in imports by Greece (+29% to 16,494 cu.m) and Romania (+37% to 14,860 cu.m).


Of the five largest EU markets for tropical veneer, Spain (- 14% to 36,608cu.m) was the only to report declining imports in 2015. However, imports also declined into Germany (-17% to 14299 cu.m) and Belgium (-44% to 7107 cu.m) during the period.

The positive trend in EU imports of veneer from tropical countries continued into 2016 (Chart 4). Imports were 73,300 cu.m in the first quarter, up 14% compared to the same period in 2015. Imports increased from all the main supply countries during the period including Gabon (+6% to 36,900 cu.m), Côte d'Ivoire (+11% to 16,800 cu.m), Cameroon (+45% to 5,900 cu.m), Congo (+72% to 5,100 cu.m) and Ghana (+42% to 2,800).

 

While the imports are growing, is also growing the risk go importing illegal timber. The UK Authorities charged with enforcing the EU timber regulations (EUTR), have taken action last week against 14 UK importers sourcing timber from Cameroon linked to illegal logging.

Back in March, the Netherlands  imposed a sanction on a Dutch company for violating the European Timber Regulation. The sanction followed a Greenpeace investigation into the controversial Cameroonian timber trader CCT, who is sourcing timber from companies involved in illegally logging and exporting timber to several countries in Europe, including the Netherlands.
 
According to Greenpeace, since 2010, when the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) came into force, Cameroon’s government has made little effort to tackle illegal logging. Following the announcement of Dutch sanctions, the government publicly defended the company accused of involvement in illegal activities instead of sincerely examining the results of Greenpeace’s investigation into illegal logging and taking necessary action to rectify the issue.
 
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