Risk Tool
Argentine cedar Cedrela fissilis
Also know as: Brazilian cedar, cedro, cedro batata, cedro blanco, cedro colorado, cedro misionero, cedro rosdao, Cedro vermelho, cedrela, cedrela americana, cedro amarello, cedro aromatic, cedro balata, cedro caopiuva, cedro cheiroso, cedro de Amazonas, cedro de Castilla, cedro grenadine, cedro real, rose cedar, cedro vermelho, cigar box cedar, Central American cedar, Spanish cedar
Cedrela fissilis is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela, and can be found throughout Central and South America. Historically, it was a dominant and abundant species, but today, it is scarce in all countries of its current range except Paraguay. The species population has been extensively exploited for timber and threatened by habitat loss. Its IUCN Red List status is “endangered.”
Common uses for the wood include housing, veneer, boat building, boxes and crates, flooring, fuelwood, furniture, joinery, musical instruments, paneling, plywood, and others. Uses for the wood of C. fissilis, especially in furniture and interior joinery applications, tends to depend on the importance of resin in the wood. It is often sold in mixed batches with C. odorata (Spanish cedar), although the wood of C. fissilis is often considered inferior in quality.
Species Details
C. fissilis is listed on Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a listing that applies to logs, lumber, and veneer from any country of origin.
Any shipment originating from Bolivia is required to obtain a CITES Appendix III Export Permit or Re-export Certification, and any shipment originating from any other country is required to present a CITES Certificate of Origin.