Domestic Timber Consumption
One major problem with restricting the international trade of certain timber species is that a large portion of
wood cut from rainforests is used domestically. Only about 6% of total tropical nonconiferous roundwood production
enters the international market. Thus it is unclear whether such an action of banning the international trade of
certain species will significantly decrease deforestation since the domestic consumption of banned species may
just replace the international consumption. Similarly there is some skepticism whether consumers in developed countries,
who demanding sustainably harvested woods, can have a measurable impact on tropical deforestation for timber.
