Globally, as much as 30 percent of the timber harvest is illegal. According to INTERPOL, the illegal trade in timber is valued at up to USD 152 billion per year. In parts of the Amazon, Central Africa and Southeast Asia with large tropical forests, 50 to 90 percent of logging activity is illegal (see box, source: Congressional Research Service, 2019).

Increasing consumer demand for timber products, particularly rare hardwoods, is driving unsustainable over-exploitation of forests globally (UNODC, 2020). Demand is greatest in Asian countries producing tropical hardwood furniture for consumers in the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Rosewood, a term that covers a range of tropical hardwoods, is estimated to be one of the highest value and highest volume of illegally traded wildlife product globally.