The Lacey Act - An Opportunity for Importers and Distributors
August 13th, 2009 — By Jesper Bach
The Lacey Act was first introduced to the U.S. Congress by John Lacey and enacted in 1900 to protect fish and wildlife within the United States and to prevent the unwise introduction of foreign birds and animals. It was most recently amended in 2008 to include plants, and specifically to control the importation of lumber and products made from lumber. The primary purpose of the Lacey Act as it affects us today is to prevent the trade and shipment of illegally harvested timber or products made from such material, and to establish penalties for those who do trade illegally.
Under the revised Lacey Act, lumber importers are required to file declarations of compliance as a part of the importation process. Penalties (some severe) have been established for those found to be out of compliance. It’s interesting to note that buying FSC Certified Lumber does not mean that an importer is automatically in compliance with the requirements of the Lacey Act. Lacey Act certification concerns not only the origin of timber, but also requires that such material be legally harvested, and that payment of appropriate local taxes and fees has been made and that all activities related to the handling and processing of the material is in compliance with laws at the point of origin.
Baillie’s compliance with the Lacey Act ensures our U.S. customers that we, as the importer, have followed all the requirements of the Lacey Act. Further, that we’ve exercised diligence to be sure that the products we sell come from suppliers that operate within the laws of their country and have sustainable forest management plans in place.
When you purchase our imported lumber and products, you can be sure the material is in compliance with all regulations and you can be confident that you are delivering only compliant material to your customers. In this way, you too demonstrate that you are an informed buyer and a conscientious purveyor of legal products.
Please direct any questions regarding our imported lumber to Jesper Bach, or your Baillie salesman.