• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Promotivia

Ideas. Innovation. Excellence.

  • Home
  • Topics
    • Construction
    • Education
    • Family
    • Furniture
    • Health
    • Pet Care
    • Swimming Pool
    • Technology
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us

A Lesson in Lacey Act Violations

Last updated on November 8, 2011 by Sozo Staff Leave a Comment

Like professionals in any industry, those working within the wholesale lumber industry need to keep up with current issues and trends affecting their legal obligations and profit margins. Among the issues facing wholesale lumber dealers, lumber importers, and exotic hardwood dealers today is the recently heightened U.S. requirements to reduce instances of illegal logging.

While prior to 2008, the U.S. lagged behind other nations in its efforts to quell illegal loggers, revisions to the century-old Lacey Act represented a pivotal change in such seeming nonchalance about the issue. The 2008 revision to the Act basically added the logging industry under its umbrella. “The U.S. has leapfrogged and taken the most significant steps toward addressing illegal logging,” said David Groves, a representative of the Environmental Investigation Agency. Post-revision law affects more than those involved in illegal harvesting responsible—it also allows for prosecution of any and all individuals or companies involved in the supply chain.

New Lacey Act provisions allow the government to seize any wood products made from illegally harvested lumber. Of course, exotic hardwood lumber has the greatest risk factor, of any wood. One high-profile company repeatedly investigated for possible lumber-related Lacey Act violations has been Gibson Guitars. In late August 2011, federal agents confiscated pallets full of electronic files, guitars, and wood. The supposedly illegal importing of Indian sawn ebony logs for which Gibson has been cited represents the second seizure of Gibson guitar parts within the past 2 years.

One of the issues in the current Gibson case hinges not on whether the wood was harvested legally but on where the wood was finished: If it had been finished in India, no violation would be in question. Even still, since Gibson received permission from the Indian government and has documentation to back up India’s interpretation of their own national law, the company will likely be allowed to continue business, as usual.

In the mean time, though, the disruptions have given the company plenty of bad publicity as well as lost profits. However, there has also been public outcry against the actions by the feds, including comments by well-known musicians and other Gibson devotees, indicating that perhaps the SWAT-team scenario has actually worked to bolster greater company loyalty. In fact, a petition is being distributed widely via bloggers and other online venues.

If nothing else, the Gibson case provides a lesson in how detailed the Lacey Act requirements can be and a painful reminder to keep up with the ironically long paper trail accompanying the supply chain of exotic hardwood. The frightening thing about the Gibson case is that the confiscated wood was fully certified by the FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) and in compliance with the originating country’s laws, as that nation interprets its own laws.

As the Gibson case unfolds, it will set an important precedent for how the Lacey Act can be applied. Industry leaders like J. Gibson McIlvain, a wholesale importer and supplier of exotic and domestic lumber, need to continue to work hard to comply, even as the laws themselves continue to develop.

Read more about lumber importing regulations:

  • Lumber Importing Regulations in the USA
  • A Real Life Lacey Act Example
  • Why You Should Buy Lumber from the Importer of Record
  • CITES and Lumber Import Regulation

Filed Under: Construction

Additional Articles

ipe recessed deck fence
Ipe Lumber – A Quick Wood Species Overview
walt disney world ipe boardwalk
Is Composite Decking or Tropical Decking Better for Boardwalk Construction? Part 3
ipe boardwalk at johns pass
Is Composite Decking or Tropical Decking Better for Boardwalk Construction? Part 2
disney boardwalk ipe
Is Composite Decking or Tropical Decking Better for Boardwalk Construction? Part 1
backyard inground pool and luxury contemporary home
Adding to the Outdoor Ambiance with Extras
metal fencing around pool
Adding to the Outdoor Ambiance with Structures

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

eight + 13 =

Primary Sidebar

Quality Wood Products
Plywood options

Featured Articles

  • Matching Lumber Color Is Trickier Than It Seems – Part 1
  • Good News for Forests & the Future: Why We Should Start Considering B Grade Lumber
  • Building an Ipe Deck That Lasts for Decades, Part 1
  • Lumber Pricing, Demystified (Part 1)
  • Why Do Large Timbers Have Cracks? Part 1
  • Is Lumber Sustainable?
  • Evaluating Issues Surrounding Teak, Part 1
  • FSC Lumber, LEED Certification, and the Price of Being Green
  • Mahogany Alternatives: A Wood Worker’s Top 3 Picks
  • Outlook for Genuine Mahogany’s Future, Part 1
Tropical Decking Lumber

Popular Articles

  • Expandable Children's Furniture at The Bedroom Source
  • African Mahogany Lumber vs Genuine Mahogany Lumber
  • The City Way: Taking Your Child’s Bed to the Next Level with Maxtrix!
  • Perfect Furniture for a Boy's Bedroom, Pt 1
  • Perfect Furniture for a Boy's Bedroom, Pt 2
  • How Do You Treat Reactive Attachment Disorder?
  • Ultra-Budget-Friendly Swimming Pool Upgrades
  • Why Sleep Is Important for Young Athletes
  • Why Parents Love Jackrabbit Class Management Software

Reader Feedback

  • DSP on Pool Maintenance Tips for Salt Water Pools, Part 1
  • Zachary Tomlinson on Amazing Benefits of Pool Ownership, Part 1
  • Zachary Tomlinson on 3 Types of Pool Covers, 3 Distinct Purposes
  • Afton Jackson on Bathroom Remodeling Ideas: Can You Use Wood in the Bathroom?
  • Alice Carroll on 4 Types of Vinyl Pool Liners
  • Afton Jackson on So You’re Adding an In-Ground Swimming Pool? Here’s What You Can Expect
  • Zachary Tomlinson on Why You Should Consider Installing a Backyard Swimming Pool – Part 3

Copyright © 2023 Sozo Firm Inc · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer · Sitemap