Customs Collaboration to Combat the International Trade in Illegal Timber

In tropical developing countries, illegal logging is a significant cause of forest degradation and can lead to permanent forest loss. This policy brief presents the findings from an IGES-The Nature Conservancy (TNC) study that investigated the potential for customs authorities to contribute to combating the international trade in illegal timber. The study identifies types of collaboration between customs authorities that would enable them to more effectively identify and take action against shipments of illegal timber and provides concrete recommendations for facilitating this collaboration.