Thank you for your interest in this Timber Legality Risk Assessment
We are currently revising and updating this risk assessment, so it has been removed from the Sourcing Hub.
We have removed it while we update it, because we have been made aware there can be important changes to the risk conclusions.
If you would like to discuss the Timber Legality Risk Assessment for Liberia, or you have questions about legality risks for Liberia, please contact: sourcinghub@preferredbynature.org.
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Overview of the forest sector
Liberia has 4.2 million ha of forest, covering 43% of its land area. This area has decreased at an average of 0.7% per year for the last 25 years.
Primary or naturally regenerated forest comprises 99% of the total area, while the remainder is planted forest.
All forests are owned by the state, except for those that belong to communities and those planted on private lands or deeded lands.
Most timber produced in Liberia is used domestically. Of the timber that is exported, most goes to China and small proportions go to other Asian countries and to Europe.
Several legality risks are present in Liberia timber supply chains. The risks are wide-ranging and appear across all categories of law. If you are sourcing timber from Liberia you should take care to ensure the extensive risks identified are not present in your supply chains, or have been sufficiently mitigated.
Score: 29 / 100 in 2021
Rank: 136 out of 180 countries in 2021
Log export ban: 2003-2006, UN Security Council-imposed sanctions on timber exports from Liberia
There are currently no armed conflicts in Liberia according to the Council on Foreign Relations' Global Conflict Tracker
VPA status: Implementing
CITES appendix II: Cyathea camerooniana, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Dalbergia spp
Information Gathering
Timber sources
- Find out the different sources of legal timber
- Determine which source type your timber comes from
Timber source type | Description of source type |
---|---|
Forest Management Contract (FMC) |
Timber from state owned land under concessions on lands of 50,000-400,000 hectares. |
Timber Sales Contract | Timber from state owned natural forests from concessions no greater than 5,000 ha. The contract must not exceed three years. |
Private Use Permit (PUP) |
Timber from private land, with the consent of the land owner. In 2013, the President issued Executive Order 44 suspending the issuance of PUPs. However, some PUPs in existence prior to 2013 continue to this day. |
Forest Use Permit (FUP) | Timber from community-owned natural forests. The area must be less than 1,000 ha. |
Community Forest |
Timber from a community forest. A Community Forest Agreement allows the community to access, manage, use and benefit from the forest resources. |