[CTC] USTR Announces Enforcement Action to Block Illegal Timber Imports from Peru

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Begin forwarded message:

From: USTR Press Office <ustrpressoffice at ustr.eop.gov>
Subject: USTR Announces Enforcement Action to Block Illegal Timber Imports from Peru
Date: October 19, 2023 at 1:00:05 PM EDT
Reply-To: USTR Press Office <ustrpressoffice at ustr.eop.gov>

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2023
 
CONTACT: media at ustr.eop.gov <mailto:media at ustr.eop.gov>
 
USTR Announces Enforcement Action to Block Illegal Timber Imports from Peru
 
WASHINGTON – The Office of the United States Trade Representative today announced that the Interagency Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru (Timber Committee) has directed United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to block any timber imports from Inversiones La Oroza SRL (Oroza), a Peruvian exporter, based on illegally harvested timber found in its supply chain. 

The Timber Committee directed CBP to continue to deny entry to any future shipments of timber products originating from Peru that were produced or exported by Oroza until the Government of Peru demonstrates that Oroza has complied with all applicable laws, regulations, and other measures of Peru governing the harvest of and trade in timber.

The United States will continue to engage closely with Peru to combat illegal logging and work toward improving forest sector governance.

BACKGROUND

This action is taken pursuant to the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement’s (PTPA) Annex on Forest Sector Governance (Forest Annex) <https://ustr.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b58f12c4da47019d98a1e84ef&id=f3142af96b&e=2babc947d3>.

In February 2016, the Timber Committee requested that the Government of Peru verify a 2015 timber shipment exported from Peru to the United States complied with Peruvian laws, regulations, and other measures governing the harvest of and trade in timber products.  The timber verification process was conducted by the Government of Peru and revealed that timber products contained in a shipment from Oroza were not harvested and traded in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

On October 19, 2017, the Timber Committee directed CBP to deny entry to any future shipments of timber products originating from Peru that were produced or exported by Oroza.  That denial of entry order against Oroza was renewed on October 19, 2020.  To date, the Government of Peru has not provided additional information to demonstrate that Oroza is complying with all applicable laws, regulations, and other measures of Peru governing the harvest of and trade in timber products. 

 
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U.S. Trade Representative Press Office
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