A warning that NGOs are taking an intense interest in logging activity in Burma has been issued by the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) in its latest Timber Topics.
The TTF said that some UK hardwood traders had received letters from the NGO group Burma Campaign seeking confirmation that they would not trade in Burmese teak.
The TTF said that Global Witness estimates that illegal timber exports from Burma amounted to 914,000m3 last year, and other organisations have connected the Burmese forest industry with illegal and unsustainable logging practices supporting the military regime.
The US imposed economic sanctions including a ban on all Burmese imports in 2003. While the EU and the UK government do not encourage investment in Burma, they have not imposed sanctions.
The TTF has told members it considers Burma a high-risk country and advises those trading there to have a good understanding of suppliers and a way of demonstrating that, within limitations, those suppliers operate responsibly.
It added: “An additional extra would be to show that you and your suppliers are involved in some form of ‘engagement’ within the country to improve the situation.”
