China's Timber and Agricultural Imports Linked to Widespread Illegal Deforestation

A study conducted by the Environmental Investigation Agency in 2018 revealed that only around one-third of shipments of tropical timber from Peru to China underwent proper inspection. Alarmingly, 70% of those inspected were found to originate from illegally deforested areas.

Additionally, a report published in May highlighted that between 2013 and 2022, Chinese imports of products associated with deforestation contributed to the destruction of approximately 4 million hectares of tropical forest, with nearly 70% of this being illegally deforested. The related greenhouse gas emissions from these imports were comparable to Spain's annual fossil fuel emissions.

Kerstin Canby, a senior director at Forest Trends, emphasized in a press statement that while China leads in domestic reforestation and renewable energy, it overlooks the environmental impacts of its imported agricultural and timber commodities. Canby pointed out that China's internal reforestation efforts have led to environmental pressures on vulnerable forests globally, including the Amazon.

In an interview, Canby stated, "China has been a star, but that has ripple effects. Everyone’s trying to protect their own forests, but all that does is push demand to those countries with minimal governance and protection measures for their own forests."