Imports of the material from Russia or Belarus could now be considered illegal in the UK, as the Government imposes sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
Purchases from suppliers in these nations could break rules that originally came into effect nine years ago partly to confront illegal logging abroad, The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) said.
The TTF also advised its members, who embody 85 per cent of the £10 billion UK timber industry, to impose their own trade ban on Russian timber earlier this month.
In the Timber and Timber Products (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2013 published last year, the Government said that due diligence by purchasers must include “consideration of the prevalence of armed conflict”.
Additionally, operators were told to be mindful of whether “any aspect of the timber supply chain is located in conflict-affected and high-risk areas.”
Nick Boulton, TTF Head of Technical and Trade policy, discussed the implications:
“Under UK timber regulations, it is the legal duty of importers to be able to prove that there is ‘negligible risk’ that the timber was sourced illegally,” he said.
“Given the current invasion of Ukraine, it would be extremely difficult for anyone now sourcing timber or timber-derived products from either Russia or Belarus to carry out a full risk assessment of illegality or to mitigate the non-negligible risk.”
It was revealed that difficulties had emerged regarding timber that had been paid for before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Boulton continued:
“It will take a few months for this timber to progress through the supply chain,” he said. “As an example, Siberian larch cladding will often have been in the country for a number of months before it finds its way onto the exterior of a house.”
Furthermore, it has been warned that tender prices could increase following the events in Ukraine.
A spokesperson for the UK Government added:
“We will continue to take any action necessary to send a very clear message that nothing is off the table.”
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