"Identifying and Controlling Risks in Import and Export of Vietnamese Timber Products" Workshop

On October 16, 2020, the representatives of SRD

participated in the Workshop "Identifying and Controlling

Risks in Import and Export of Vietnamese Timber

Products" at Melia Hotel, Hanoi. The purpose of the

workshop is to provide information to regulators and

businesses operating in this industry, helping to locate and

establish effective risk control mechanisms in import and

export processes.

Some main contents of the workshop are specified as below:

(a)  Update the current importing status and identify risks of geographic area and species for imported tropical timber, which contributes to the effective implementation of the VNTLAS Decree.

- Control risks in importing timber according to VPA FLEGT and VNTLAS Decree (risk control mechanism)

- Update on Vietnam's status of tropical timber imports from January 2019 to July 2020 (from Africa, Laos, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea)

- Risk assessment in tropical timber stream imported into Vietnam (Geographical risk and risk of imported species)

- Evaluation of the future implementation of VPA/FLEGT and VNTLAS Decree: From the perspective of risky-imported timber supply flows (Develop and publish a list of geographic areas and species at risk)

(b) Update the status and identify the risks of origin fraud in kitchen cabinets and sofa furniture

- The impact of the US-China trade war on Chinese timber products exported to the US

- The status of Vietnamese timber products exported to the US

- The status of Chinese timber products exported into Vietnam (Kitchen cabinets, sofas)

- The status of commercial fraud for kitchen cabinets and sofas (Model of no commercial fraud, model to avoid origin of goods)

- Trade fraud and form of control

- Current status of commercial fraud and policy on this issue

- Trade fraud in the timber industry: identifying signals

- Control risks in origin fraud

(c) Make recommendations to regulators and related businesses to reduce risks in stages (a) and (b)

- Propose MARD to establish a technical group including stakeholders who are fully equipped with good knowledge of species, the legal framework of importing countries, certificates, etc.

- Update information on all tropical timber supply flows

- Consultation and request for the assistance of relevant agencies

- Update information for importing businesses

- Stimulate the substitution of imported tropical timber with planted forest timber (encourage afforestation, develop livelihoods for 1.4 million afforestation households), plantation timber products, use imported timber from risky sources.

- From statistical data on import and export, the customs authority needs to coordinate with businesses and associations to identify products with signs of risk understanding.

- National associations need to build a network to collect information through businesses and local associations

- National associations and local associations need to build linkage with Chinese companies for serious business in Vietnam, exploiting and accessing information from this affiliate network to locate companies committing fraud

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