The obligation placed on importers by the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) to gather data to demonstrate a negligible risk of illegal harvest is acting as an extra drag on EU trade in tropical timber.  Reports suggest regulatory actions are becoming more frequent and vigorous, particularly in Belgium in recent weeks. This is more significant given the important role Belgian importers play in distributing tropical hardwood products to other parts of the continent.  There appears to be a general trend in the EU for many companies that formerly imported direct from the tropics to avoid ...