Source: Vietnamese Wood
The dispatch should be clear, the Government of Vietnam has made a strong commitment to eliminate illegal timber from all of Vietnam’s timber supply chains. This commitment is specifically expressed in the VPA/FLEGT Agreement (VPA), signed by the Government of Vietnam and the EU in 2019. Implement the VPA on legality requirements applied to products. export and also products in the domestic market. In September 2020, the Government of Vietnam issued Decree No. 102/2020/ND-CP on the Vietnam Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS Law), in order to ensure the legality of the entire chain. wood supply.
Controlling the legality of timber imports is at the heart of the VNTLAS Law. In particular, when bringing high-risk timber into the country, Vietnamese importers must exercise accountability to ensure their imports can be verified as of legal origin. To do this, importers must demonstrate official documents issued by the relevant Government agency in the exporting country to verify the legality of the source and export, and/or certify sustainability from third parties.
Data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs shows that in 2020, Vietnam imported 1,490 m3 of logs/boxes (HS 4403) and 27,490 m3 of sawn timber (HS 4407) from Cambodia. According to the VNTLAS Law, when importing wood from Cambodia, Vietnamese importers must provide additional legal documents issued by Cambodian competent authorities to verify the legality of the imported goods. However, Vietnamese importers have not yet fully understood what legal documents are issued by Cambodian competent authorities. Those documents are enough to prove the legal supply or not. This issue has been causing challenges not only for Vietnamese importers but also for Vietnamese competent authorities to implement the VNTLAS Law.
To promote legal timber trade between Cambodia and Vietnam and ensure that Vietnamese importers strictly comply with legality requirements from both countries, VIFOREST recommends the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries direct the authorities to share with us the list and basic content of legal documents and documents required for wood export in Cambodia (including regulations related to restricted wood products). and protected tree species) and necessary documents that Vietnamese importers need to present to the competent Vietnamese authorities when these importers bring Cambodian timber into Vietnam. This information is very important for us to ensure the legality of timber imports.
VIFOREST represents Vietnam’s timber industry, with more than 1,300 members operating in the following fields: plantation development; processing industry and import and export of wood and wood products. VIFOREST also acts as a point of communication and cooperation between the Government of Vietnam and members of VIFOREST. VIFOREST encourages its members to strictly comply with all requirements on the legality of timber, not only in Vietnam but also in countries that export timber to Vietnam.
