Belgian customs officials have detected 20 cases of illegal timber imports so far this year, an increase (on a year-to-date basis) over past years, as officials ramp up testing at the port. That is according to Belgian Finance Minister Jan Jambon and Minister of Climate and Sustainable Development Jean-Luc Crucke, who toured the Vilvoorde lab yesterday.
In total, Wood Central understands that inspectors carried out 300 timber inspections in 2023 and uncovered 28 violations. In 2024, that figure rose to 600 inspections with 18 infractions detected. This year, 584 shipments have already been checked, yielding 20 confirmed violations – with each single shipment potentially containing multiple illegally harvested species.
Most of the seized timber originates from India, the United Arab Emirates and Cameroon, entering Belgium as both raw logs and processed products. Customs officers have confiscated incense holders, coffee tables, bowls, boxes and four large carved elephants—each weighing several hundred kilograms—made wholly or partly from illegal wood.
Risk analysis determines which containers are inspected: “Some products are scanned, while in other cases, experts can spot infringements with the naked eye,” explained Kristian Vanderwaeren, General Administrator of Customs and Excise (FPS Finance). “Determining the origin of the wood is not easy. The regulations are also extremely complex: sometimes a certain type of wood may be sold in one form, but not in another.” Where necessary, samples are forwarded to Vilvoorde for detailed microscopic analysis to identify the exact species.
Vanderwaeren acknowledged that customs cannot intercept every illicit shipment but noted that inspections have increased in recent years. “We have made and continue to make investments in intercepting illegal timber,” he said. “We do what we can with the resources we have, but they remain limited.”
“Rainforests are the lungs of the world,” Minister Jambon said. “They are a key element in reducing global CO₂ emissions, but we know they are threatened by logging. That is why protecting forests is crucial, and we are committed to monitoring the import of illegal timber.” Minister Crucke added, “By protecting biodiversity, we protect ourselves and our health, the climate, our economy and the future of our children.”
- To learn more about the flow of illegal timber arriving in the European Union via Belgium, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from early last year.
