The U.S. Department of Justice Vows to Eradicate Timber Trafficking Across Global Supply Chains

Led by the U.S. Department of Justice, the first-ever workshop covering the full timber supply chain—from logging to customs clearance—was held in Libreville. Gabon, Cameroon and Vietnam were invited to the five-day anti-timber trafficking event to advance overseas enforcement of the Lacey Act.

To fully eliminate illegal timber from global supply chains, the U.S. Department of Justice brought together timber source countries, processing and transit nations, and end-consumer markets to host its inaugural multilateral coordination forum in Libreville, the capital of Gabon. During the event, Adam Gustafson, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, stated that illegal timber entering the market in violation of the Lacey Act poses severe pressure and threatens the viability of domestic U.S. lumber manufacturers.

Gustafson outlined the core commercial stakes behind this crackdown during the discussions, stating that the United States has a compelling interest in cleaning up global timber trade routes and stopping illegal lumber from entering its domestic market. “Illegally imported timber depresses market prices and harms domestic producers,” he remarked. He further added that coordinated cooperation among international trading partners can boost cross-border capabilities to seize illegal timber, while fostering a stable, orderly business environment for legitimate timber trade.

This specialized workshop drew more than a hundred government officials from around the world, setting an industry milestone: for the first time, it assembled representatives spanning forestry operators, major timber-producing nations, international timber processing and re-export hubs, and key consumer markets, covering every link in the supply chain from tree harvesting to customs inspection. The United States, Gabon, Cameroon and Vietnam served as core participants, alongside delegates from the European Union, the United Kingdom, various civil society nonprofits and international specialized bodies.

The U.S. Department of Justice has ramped up its criminal enforcement efforts, hiring dedicated intelligence analysts to investigate transnational timber trafficking rings valued at an estimated USD 500 million. Workshop discussions centered on traceability frameworks for compliant timber, national customs clearance protocols, and cross-border joint investigation methodologies. Organizers also gathered feedback from forest industry stakeholders to explore growth opportunities and collaboration prospects for legal timber commerce.

Over a hundred officials gathered in Gabon’s capital for the workshop, marking the first time stakeholders across the entire timber supply chain had convened in one venue. Attendees represented forestry sectors, primary timber exporters, leading processing and transshipment hubs and major consumer economies, covering all stages from logging to customs vetting. Cameroon, Vietnam, the U.S. and Gabon participated as core delegations, with representatives from the EU, UK, numerous NGOs and international agencies also present.

The DOJ continues to escalate criminal enforcement operations, recruiting dedicated intelligence analysts to track transnational illegal timber trafficking networks with an estimated market value of USD 500 million. Panel sessions addressed legal, traceable timber management systems, customs clearance procedures and collaborative investigation techniques, while soliciting industry input to identify opportunities for sustainable legitimate timber trade.

The workshop received joint backing from six major U.S. federal agencies: the DOJ Trade Fraud Task Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations. Full operational support was also provided by the U.S. Department of State, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and U.S. Embassies in Libreville, Hanoi and Yaoundé throughout the event.