Solomon Islands Timber Legality Risk Dashboard
By Forest Trends View PublicationGovernance challenges and reports of corruption in the Solomon Islands’ timber sector are well publicized. Illegal logging is widespread and there are significant risks associated with timber sourced from natural forests on customary land and from large-scale plantations. Forest laws are not well-enforced; operators found to be operating illegally rarely are fined or lose their licenses.
Direct exports to U.S. and EU markets are low while exports of logs to China have rapidly risen. Most of the concessions in the country are owned and operated by Asian companies from China, Singapore, Malaysia, and India. NGO reports have documented cases of high-risk timber sourced from the Solomon Islands being used in Chinese-manufactured products that are likely entering European and U.S. markets. New reference material has been collected that will support enforcement officials to be able to identify timber harvested in the Solomon Islands.