In May 2008, the United States Congress passed landmark legislation to address the U.S. market’s role in the global illegal logging crisis, becoming the first country in the world to ban the import of illegally harvested wood and wood products.
		Video: Watch a new EIA video showing how the Lacey Act works to combat illegal logging and trade. [watch video] If you're having trouble with viewing, watch the video on [YouTube]. Be sure to view parts I and II.
		Resource: Frequently Asked Questions about the U.S. Lacey Act, the World's First Ban in Illegal Wood Products. [ read FAQ's (english version) ] [ read FAQ's (chinese version) ]

The realization of this ban marks a historic moment, and ushers in a new phase in the global fight to transform the timber trade. The amended Lacey Act sends a powerful signal that the world’s largest consumer is closing its doors to illegally sourced timber. It also establishes strong incentives for companies to ask the right questions about their wood sources, by empowering the government to seize suspect shipments and prosecute timber smugglers.

For years, EIA has called upon consumer countries to implement demand-side measures that will close the unquestioning markets which allow timber barons to operate. Over the past two years, we instigated formation of an unprecedented coalition of over 30 environmental groups, labor unions, industry associations and companies, united in supporting such a ban. The U.S. government has now listened to this coalition. We are proud and gratified to see the United States demonstrate leadership in combating the global problem of illegal logging and associated trade.
[Click here for background information on the Lacey Act]

"The US has the capacity to precipitate a global fightback against illegal logging. The legislation proposed is elegant and non-bureaucratic… It adds no burden to the people who are already getting it right and it incentivizes those who know they are currently getting it wrong, prompting them to do the right thing. That is what good law should be all about.” --Barry Gardiner, The U.K. Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Forestry, October 16, 2007, in written testimony to a hearing on the Legal Timber Protection Act

“… the American Forest & Paper Association, the Hardwood Federation, and the Environmental Investigation Agency – deserve a tremendous amount of credit for sticking with this and finding a solution that everyone could support.  I applaud them for their hard work, the maturity with which they approached the issue, and the respect that they showed each other throughout the process. Their conduct is model for how things should work in Washington.” –Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), August 1, 2007, upon introducing the Combat Illegal Logging Act on the Floor of the U.S. Senate