Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White has responded to an Observer article in which WWF says £700m is being spent by consumers annually on illegally sourced wood.
A WWF survey mentioned in the article said half of British shoppers had no idea that wood for sale in the UK can often be from illegal sources or the product of unsustainable logging in developing countries.
The survey of 1,000 adults found people were ignorant about the source of timber products such as bed bases, flooring or garden furniture.
In a letter published in last Sunday’s Observer, Mr White said it was “unsurprising” shoppers didn’t know where their wood product purchases came from.
“It is a huge leap to suggest this means consumers are buying illegal wood,” he wrote.
“The UK timber trade, working closely with WWF and other NGOs, has led the world in using buying power to drive structural changes to the supply chain that have meant illegal wood in the UK makes up less than 5% of the total.
“A recent EU law for which we fought will soon ban illegal timber in Europe.”
Only 28% of survey respondents had heard of the Forest Stewardship Council certification scheme.
