Ban fails to curb lumber exports

Environmental Investigation Agency, decimated swathes of forest in Ratanakkiri province and was allegedly facilitated by huge payments to officials on both sides of the border.

Following the EIA report’s release in May, Sam Al said an investigation into the role of local authorities in the operation was underway.

However, no further details about suspects have emerged.

Broken down, the new data show Vietnamese customs authorities received about 170,000 cubic metres of sawn timber and 143,000 cubic metres of raw logs between January and June, valued at $110 million and $31 million respectively.

By comparison, Vietnam imported 139,000 cubic metres of logs and 179,000 cubic metres of sawn wood in 2016, according to customs data also compiled by Forest Trends.

Reached yesterday, longtime anti-logging activist Marcus Hardtke said following the “temporary dent” in exports after the crackdown, the trade had “bounced back”.

“The 2016/17 dry season saw a huge spike in illegal exports to Vietnam, the new customs data from 2017 once again confirm the findings of the EIA investigation,” he wrote via email.

Phuc Xuan To, an analyst with Forest Trends, also said the Cambodian government’s announcement of its export ban had made little impact on the trade.

“These figures clearly show that ‘export ban’ entirely failed,” he said.

These figures clearly show that ‘export ban’ entirely failed

SUPPLIED Authorities inspect a timber truck destined for Vietnam in Ratanakkiri in May. Timber exports to Vietnam in the first six months of the year have nearly exceeded the total amount for all of last year.