Risk Tool

About the Tool

For both large companies buying high volumes of forest products, and small companies with only a few employees, it can be time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to find accurate information about where wood products come from and the species they're made from.

The Risk Information Tool, a project of the Forest Legality Alliance in cooperation with partners around the world, was developed in response to a changing landscape for the international trade in forest products. Because of new laws requiring that timber imports into the United States, the European Union and Australia be of legal origin, we saw a need for helpful, user-friendly information that provides more detail about where these products come from and what issues a buyer might encounter. We aim to:

  • pull together all relevant legislation and regulation in source countries,
  • provide useful information about some of the most commonly traded or commercially important timber species,
  • provide contact information for local authorities, business associations, and civil society groups that may be able to assist in the procurement process or answer specific questions, and
  • explain some of the most commonly encountered legality policies.

The Risk Information Tool is designed to make it easier for users to ask informed questions during the process of conducting due care or due diligence on their forest product supply chains. Use of this tool does not constitute due care or due diligence. The aim of this tool is to provide helpful information in one place as well as serve as a portal to useful tools developed by other organizations.

You can search by country to find information about relevant laws and local contacts who might be able to help answer more questions. You can also search by species to see where a particular type of tree grows, what it might be called in other languages, what it’s commonly used for, whether it’s endangered, and specific restrictions under national or international laws and regulations.


About Country Profiles

The aim of the country profiles is to allow the user to search for useful information that is specific to the forest products trade in each country. Recent forest product import laws in the U.S., EU and Australia require buyers to understand the laws governing forest products in the countries where they are sourced. This part of the tool is meant to help you do that, by presenting information by country about:

  • the forest estate and forestry sector,
  • the legal and policy landscape,
  • relevant international law as it applies in the individual country, and
  • local contacts who can serve as further sources of information.

Issues related to the legality of various forest products vary by country - for example, many exporting countries have banned the export of raw logs, but not of sawnwood or other finished products. Certain species or areas, such as national parks or other reserves, are protected by national laws, and regulations also vary on the subjects of fees, taxes, and manufacturing requirements. The country profiles can help point you in the direction of helpful resources and guidance compiled by organizations working of this issue.

About Species Profiles

The species profiles provide a brief natural history of the species, lists both the scientific name (required for trade documents in many cases) and commonly used trade names, and describes information relevant to sourcing issues particular to the species. This includes information about the species’ endangered status and CITES listing, if applicable.

Species can be searched by name and CITES and Endangered Status on this page, and by country and use on the country page.

Disclaimer

Please note: Information presented in this tool is the responsibility of the World Resources Institute and the Environmental Investigation Agency. Entities with membership in the Forest Legality Alliance are not responsible for, and do not necessarily endorse, the content of this tool.

While we hope this tool will prove useful and relevant to people all along forest product supply chains, it is not a legal instrument. Use of this tool does not necessarily constitute “due care” for the purposes of the U.S. Lacey Act. We make every effort to ensure our research is up to date and accurate, but information is not guaranteed. Use at your own risk. The Forest Legality Alliance, the World Resources Institute, the Environmental Investigation Agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and any and all associated entities accept no financial, legal, or other liability that may arise from your use of this tool.

This project is made possible in part by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the World Resources Institute and the Environmental Investigation Agency and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Contact Us

The Risk Tool is a work-in-progress. We will continue to add country and species profiles, and review current profiles to provide the most up-to-date information.

Your feedback is always welcome as we work to make the Risk Tool even more useful. If you have any information you’d like to share with us, contact us at forestlegality@wri.org.