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China's Timber Product Imports by Volume and Source Country, 2000-2014

Source: Chinese customs statistics, compiled by Forest Trends

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Year Development

2009 CAF Study to Assess Options for CTLVS

2011 The first draft TLVS

2012 Start of the pilot under CATVS: China National Forest Products Industry Association

2014 InFIT (-2017): Output #1&4 – CTLVS

CGTVS (government-guided) CATVS (industry-guided)

“A timber legality verification system which both lives up to international standard and suits Chinese specific condition

has been proactively explored…”. - InFIT Activities Briefing 2015, p. 3

- Extensive stakeholder consultation- 3 pilot testing- Dialogues with producers and consumers

to be available soon voluntary DDS

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2nd TLVS draft

Standards modified to incorporate DD element

- To be further refined

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Above: Presentation slides (Jan 2016) by:Research Center for International Forest Product Trade of SFA, RIFP - CAF

Bilateral Agreements• China-US MOU 2007 – ongoing bilateral platform• China-EU BCM 2009 China-Australia MOU 2010• China-Japan MOU 2011• China-Indonesia MOUs 2002 & 2010 (broader): Licensed timber only

from Indonesia? (discussions under BCM)• Dialogues towards China-Myammar MOU: Mutual recognition of TLVS?

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Supporting Programmes• China-UK dialogue …. InFIT• RAFT (China not part of the current 3rd phase)• Under the BCM EFT – EU FLEGT facility• China-Africa Forest Governance Learning Platform

South Korea’s Timber Sector Imports by Value and Source Country, 2000-2014

Souce: Korean Forest Service and UN Comtrade, compiled by James Hewitt and Forest Trends

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Year Activity

Mar 2013 International Seminar on Legality of Timber Trade

Jul 2014 FLEGT Asia visit to Seoul

Jun 2015 Australian government visit to Seoul

Korean Country Specific Guideline (to be completed in 2016)

Aug 2015 Visit of South Korea delegation to US government agencies

Task Force Team created

• Benchmarking

• The Forestry Act in 2012

Article 34 -Countermeasures against illegally felled timber

• DD: Voluntary first (2017?) Mandatory (2018?)

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Above: From 2014/SOM2/EGILAT/014

• Korea-China FTA

• Korea-US FTA (Environmental Cooperation Agreement: illegal-logging)

• Korea-EU FTA

• Korea-Indonesia MOU

• Korea-Australia Forestry Cooperative Committee

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Japan's Timber Product Imports by Volume and Source Country, 2005-2014

Current TLVS:

• Public procurement since 2006

• “Goho Wood”: no DD, document-based, voluntary – FA & JFWIA

Towards new law:

• Two bills being developed (LDP & DPJ-Ishin)

• To be submitted to the Diet during this session

• Expected to be ready for the G7 Summit 13

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• Japan-Indonesia MOU

• Japan-Malaysia MOU

• Japan-China MOU

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Source: FLEGT VPA Annual Report, May 2014-April 2015

Now over 360,000

“Delegates heard that 97.9% of all Indonesia’s timber and wood product exports are now backed with V-legal [documents],…”

(GTF news report, 2015/11/23)

Started operating in 2013

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• DDS for imported timber (Jan 2014)

• Rule relaxation for furniture

Month/Year FLEGT VPA Progress

Jan 2013 SVLK started operating

2014 VPA entered into force (May)SVLK revisions in 2014

Sep 2014 Implementation Committee’s 1st meeting

Sep-Oct 2014

Issues to be resolved identified for FLEGT licensing

Apr 2015 Start of the selection process for TLAS periodic evaluator

First licensed timber in 2016?

• The Vietnam Timber Legality Assurance System - draft stage

- A wide scope (all sources,

operators, markets)

- Verification of imported timber

• FLEGT VPA negotiations to be

concluded in 2016

• Vietnam-EU FTA in Dec 201517

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Above: Vietnam News

Certification Schemes PEFC Endorsement

China Forest Certification Council (CFCC) 2014

Korea Forest Certification Council (KFCC) Expected in 2016 or 2017

Japan - Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC)

Expected in June 2016

Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC)

2014

Vietnamese Forestry Certification System

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Summary• General progress towards the new ‘norm’- DD• Global effort – positive impact• Government commitment & industry support

Future • More similar effort, for more countries • Robust, transparent system – Practicality &

industry capacity – consultation & motivation• APEC EGILAT drafting the TL Guidance Template

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Thank You!

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