U.S. Justice Department highlights APEC forestry gains, illegal timber enforcement push

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APEC forestry & timber enforcement

Highlights

The U.S. delegation led by Adam Gustafson negotiated a joint ministerial statement at APEC Ministerial on Forestry, balancing U.S. objectives with other economies.
Recent guilty pleas from a yacht builder and a paper products manufacturer highlight the Justice Department's push for enforcement against illegal timber trafficking under Executive Order 14223.
Illegal timber trade remains a barrier to fair competition for American businesses, prompting new U.S. agreements and partnerships with APEC members to enhance enforcement and support job growth.

APEC forestry meeting and enforcement agenda

As stated by the U.S. Department of Justice, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson said the U.S. delegation negotiated a joint ministerial statement at the APEC Ministerial on Forestry that balanced U.S. priorities with those of other member economies. He led the delegation as part of a 2026 APEC senior officials' meeting in China, with participation from the State Department, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Gustafson said he used the meeting to underscore the United States' commitment to combating illegal timber trafficking, citing President Trump's Executive Order 14223. He also pointed to recent guilty pleas secured from a yacht builder and a paper products manufacturer that profited from illegal forest products.

Trade and regional business implications

Justice Department officials say illegal timber trade creates an uneven playing field for American businesses and remains a barrier to fair competition in the wood products industry. Gustafson said the United States is working with APEC partners to reduce business barriers, support job growth and promote fair, legal and reciprocal trade.

He added that ENRD is prepared to prosecute environmental crimes and co-chairs an interagency group focused on improving timber trafficking investigations. The division is also part of a Trade Fraud Task Force aimed at pursuing smugglers and those seeking to evade tariffs and duties, while the United States says it has recently reached agreements and partnerships with nations and APEC members to support enforcement efforts.

In our earlier coverage of U.S.-EU trade talks over non-tariff barriers, we described Washington’s push for Brussels to ease sustainability-related rules that U.S. officials argue burden American companies operating in Europe. The article focused on pressure to revise supply-chain due diligence and reporting requirements as well as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and noted that while some regulations have already been softened, the EU has signaled limited appetite for further concessions.

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