U.S. tests Peru’s progress in addressing illegal logging

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today called on Peru to “verify” that a group of timber shipments exported to the U.S. in 2017 complied with regulations outlined in the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement. The move will “help ensure that Peruvian timber is legally harvested and violators are held accountable,” USTR said in a Feb. 26 statement. The Forest Sector Governance Annex mechanism, included in the environment chapter of the agreement, outlines requirements for Peru to conduct audits of timber producers...