Lacey Act Timber Imports: Practical Guide for US Buyers

If you import wood or wood products into the United States, the Lacey Act applies to you. Since 2008, this law has made it illegal to import, sell or buy timber that was harvested or traded in breach of the laws of the country where it was cut, and it requires an import declaration for many wood products. Penalties can include seizure of the goods, fines and, in serious cases, criminal charges. Understanding lacey act timber imports rules is therefore essential for every American importer, distributor, manufacturer and retailer that handles hardwood.

In this guide we explain what the Lacey Act prohibits, how the declaration works, what “due care” means in practice, the penalties, and the documents to ask your supplier for. At Global Timber Trade Hub we supply African hardwoods to US buyers and provide the information needed for the declaration. This guide is general information, not legal advice; for your specific situation, consult a customs broker or trade lawyer.

In short

The Lacey Act bans trade in plants and timber taken or traded illegally under any applicable law.
It applies to imports and to sales within the United States.
Importers must file a declaration (PPQ Form 505 or electronic equivalent) for covered wood products.
The declaration lists species, country of harvest, quantity and value.
Importers are expected to exercise due care in checking legality.
Penalties include forfeiture of goods, fines and possible criminal liability.

What is the Lacey Act?

The Lacey Act is a US law first passed in 1900 to fight trade in illegally taken wildlife. In 2008, Congress amended it to cover plants and plant products, including timber and wood products. It is enforced mainly by the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Justice, with Customs and Border Protection at the border.

What does it prohibit?

The Act makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire or purchase any plant, including timber, that was taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of US law or the law of a foreign country or US state. Relevant foreign laws include those on:

theft of timber or harvesting without permission;
harvesting in protected areas or outside approved concessions;
harvesting without or contrary to required permits;
failure to pay royalties, taxes or fees for harvest, transport or export;
breach of export or transhipment laws, such as log export bans.

This means that timber exported in breach of a producing country’s export rules can be illegal to import into the US, even if the paperwork looks normal. For Central Africa, log export restrictions in Gabon, the Republic of Congo and Cameroon are relevant. See our buying timber logs from Africa guide.

The import declaration

For covered products, importers must file a Lacey Act declaration at the time of import, on PPQ Form 505 or electronically through the customs system. APHIS has phased in the declaration requirement by product category, and sawn wood and many wood products are covered. The declaration includes:

the scientific name (genus and species) of each plant in the product;
the country of harvest;
the quantity and unit of measure;
the value of the import;
the percentage of recycled content, if any.

If the exact species is not known, the rules allow listing several possible species in some cases, but accuracy is strongly encouraged. Check the current APHIS guidance for your products before you import.

Due care: what it means in practice

The Lacey Act does not set a fixed list of documents, but it expects people in the supply chain to exercise “due care”, meaning the degree of care a reasonably prudent person would use in the same circumstances. Penalties depend partly on whether the importer knew, or should have known, that the timber was illegal. Practical due care for timber imports usually includes:

knowing your supplier and the supply chain back to the forest;
collecting documents on harvest, transport, processing and export;
understanding the forest and export laws of the country of harvest;
assessing risk by species and country;
using certification or third-party verification where risk is higher;
keeping records and reviewing suppliers regularly.

Documents to ask your supplier for

Species by trade and botanical name.
Country and, where possible, region or concession of harvest.
Harvest permits or concession documents.
Transport and processing records, such as waybills.
Export permits and proof that export taxes were paid.
CITES permits for listed species.
Certificates such as FSC, if claimed.
Commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading that match.

Keep these documents for each shipment, organised so you can show them if asked.

Penalties

The Lacey Act has a range of penalties. Goods imported in violation can be seized and forfeited, even if the importer did not know they were illegal. Civil penalties and criminal penalties depend on the importer’s knowledge and the level of care taken; knowingly trading illegal timber can lead to large fines and imprisonment. Failing to file a correct declaration can also bring penalties. Well-known enforcement cases have involved musical instrument makers and flooring companies, and showed that US buyers are expected to understand their supply chains.

Lacey Act and CITES

CITES controls trade in listed species through permits. The Lacey Act goes further: it covers all species, listed or not, and makes breaches of any relevant foreign law a US offence. For CITES species such as African padouk, doussie, bubinga and African mahogany, you need both valid CITES permits and Lacey Act compliance. See our CITES timber species guide.

Lacey Act and the EU and UK rules

The European Union and the United Kingdom have their own laws against illegal timber, with due diligence obligations on operators. In the EU, the deforestation regulation applies to timber from 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and those previously covered by the old timber regulation, with later dates for others. If you sell to both markets, building one strong due diligence system helps meet all three. See our EUDR timber compliance guide.

Higher-risk situations

Species with a history of illegal logging or under CITES review.
Countries with weak forest governance or export bans.
Products mixed from many sources, such as some plywood or flooring.
Prices far below the market for the species.
Suppliers unable or unwilling to share documents.

In these cases, ask for more evidence, consider independent verification or choose another supplier. Our timber supplier scams guide covers warning signs.

How we support US buyers

For each shipment to the United States, we provide the botanical names, country of harvest, quantities and values needed for the declaration, along with export permits, CITES permits where needed and supporting documents. We source from mills in Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of Congo that hold the required national permits. See our sustainability page and how to import timber from Africa.

Building a simple compliance file

You do not need complex software to show due care. For each supplier, keep a short profile: company details, mill locations, the concessions or sources they buy from, their permits and any certificates, with expiry dates. For each shipment, keep a folder with the contract, invoice, packing list, bill of lading, export permit, CITES permit where relevant, phytosanitary certificate, your Lacey Act declaration and any inspection report. Add notes on the risk assessment you made and any questions you asked. Review the file once a year and whenever a supplier changes sources. If an enforcement officer or a customer ever asks how you checked legality, this file is your answer.

What about products made from timber?

The Lacey Act covers plant products, not just raw timber. Furniture, flooring, plywood, musical instruments and other wood products can all fall under the declaration requirement, depending on their product codes and the current phase of implementation. If you import finished goods made from African hardwoods, ask your manufacturer for the same species and origin information you would ask for sawn timber. See our African tonewood for guitars guide for an example from the instrument trade.

Working with your customs broker

Most importers file the declaration through their customs broker as part of the entry. Give your broker the species, country of harvest, quantity and value well before the ship arrives, and check their draft against your documents. Brokers who handle wood products regularly know the common pitfalls and the current product codes that require a declaration.

Common mistakes

Using trade names only: the declaration needs scientific names.
Listing the export port instead of the country of harvest: they can differ.
No documents on file: due care needs evidence, not trust alone.
Ignoring producer-country export rules: export breaches can make timber illegal.

Our honest advice

Treat Lacey Act compliance as part of normal buying, not paperwork at the end. Know your supplier, ask for documents before you order, file accurate declarations and keep records. Work with a customs broker who knows wood products, and get legal advice for higher-risk species or complex supply chains.

Sources

Related guides

Frequently asked questions about lacey act timber imports

Do I need a Lacey Act declaration for hardwood lumber?

Generally yes, for covered wood products; check current APHIS guidance for your product codes.

What information goes on the declaration?

Scientific name, country of harvest, quantity, value and any recycled content.

Can goods be seized even if I did not know they were illegal?

Yes. Forfeiture can apply regardless of the importer’s knowledge.

Does FSC certification guarantee Lacey Act compliance?

It helps show due care, but importers remain responsible for legality.

Get a quote with full documentation

Send us your species, volume and US port through our quote form. We will reply with a price and the documents we provide for your declaration.

Lacey Act Timber Imports: A Practical Guide for US Wood Buyers