Constructive Guidance for European Importers of Myanmar Teak

By Darren Thomas

Finally, constructive guidance for European importers of Myanmar Teak, thanks to the judicial system in Sweden:

After scrutiny of the facts and evidence, the Swedish courts have ruled that it is possible to mitigate the risk of illegal timber from Myanmar through "appropriate and proportionate" risk reduction procedures.

Such procedures can include onsite assessments, the use of local Myanmar employees who can speak Burmese, and the use of DNA "Fingerprinting" (matching of timber back to specific trees) to validate the paper-based chain of custody documentation.

This decision overrules the European Commission Expert Group position that attempts to justify a complete import ban on Myanmar timber. Instead, it shows that responsible companies can trade in Myanmar teak, so long as they are aware of the substantial risks and take the necessary steps to address them.

To demonstrate transparency, I expect the European Commission to acknowledge and share this development with all stakeholders across the European Union.

Note: This ruling is not related to the sanctions imposed on Myanma Timber Enterprise and the Forest Products Joint Venture Corporation Limited, introduced by the EU on June 21st 2021. Compliance with international sanctions is a separate prerequisite, also verified by Double Helix Tracking Technologies.