Viet Nam's Timber Exports to Japan: Analysis of Products Made Using Imported High-Risk Species during 2018‒2021

This report was prepared by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) under the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) project "Analysis of Timber Legality Assurance Systems and Good Practices in China and Viet Nam for Sustainable Timber Trade''. This ITTO project was made possible by funding from the Japanese government.

This report aims to promote legal timber trade by identifying the high‐risk species in timber products exported from Vietnam and generating recommendations for stakeholders in import countries. With this objective, the report focuses on timber exports from Vietnam to Japan as a case study. Using the criteria stipulated in the Vietnamese legal framework (Decree 102 and subsequent circulars), the level of risk was identified based on (i) the detailed examination of the Vietnam customs trade data concerning timber products exported from Vietnam to Japan from January 2018 to June 2021; (ii) the insights derived from key respondent interviews; and (iii) the questionnaire survey completed by Vietnamese timber importers concerning the due diligence. Specifically, the report explores trade data and high‐risk species and assesses the level of risk associated with particular product groups exported to Japan.