07/26/2022
WASHINGTON – The Office of the United States Trade Representative today announced that the Interagency Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru (Timber Committee) has directed United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to block any timber imports from Inversiones WCA E.I.R.L. (WCA), a Peruvian exporter, based on illegally harvested timber found in its supply chain.
“The Biden Administration is committed to combatting illegal deforestation and keeping illegally harvested timber out of supply chains,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai. “Illegally harvested timber not only harms the environment and depletes natural resources but also disadvantages workers and businesses who use lawful and sustainable means to make their goods.”
The Timber Committee directed CBP to deny entry to any future shipments of timber products originating from Peru that were produced or exported by WCA until the Government of Peru demonstrates that WCA has complied with all applicable laws, regulations, and other measures of Peru governing the harvest of and trade in timber.
BACKGROUND
This action is taken pursuant to the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement’s (PTPA) Annex on Forest Sector Governance (Forest Annex).
In February 2018, the Timber Committee requested that the Government of Peru verify whether several timber shipments exported from Peru to the United States complied with Peruvian laws, regulations, and other measures governing the harvest of and trade in timber products. The timber verification process was conducted by the Government of Peru and revealed that timber products contained in a shipment from WCA were not harvested and traded in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
On July 26, 2019, the Timber Committee directed CBP to deny entry to any future shipments of timber products originating from Peru that were produced or exported by WCA. That denial of entry order against WCA was set to expire this month. To date, however, the Government of Peru has not demonstrated that WCA is currently complying with all applicable laws, regulations, and other measures of Peru governing the harvest of and trade in timber products.
The United States will continue to engage closely with Peru to combat illegal logging and work toward improving forest sector governance.
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