“The report provides a political economy analysis of the trade in tropical timber from
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to and through Uganda via the Northern Transit Corridor. The study focuses on international, regional and local demand-side
drivers for tropical timber exports from the eastern DRC to and through Uganda. Extensive
fieldwork, conducted in the Great Lakes region as part of this study, found that the bulk of tropical timber on East African markets is from the eastern DRC. Approximately 80% of this timber leaves the eastern DRC across its border with Uganda. The flow is largely unregulated and provides little revenue for the country of origin. This is a concern for both Congolese policymakers and for international timber buyers, who do not want their wood imports tainted by illegal and unsustainable practices. To better understand these trends, the report investigates the growing consumer demand for legal and certified forest products in developed countries, particularly in Europe and the US. Consumers require strict chain of custody mechanisms that enable importers to comply with legal and/or other certification requirements.”
