How Trade Facilitation Measures Impact Current Law and Policy on the Wildlife and Timber Trade

The report assesses the tension between economic growth through trade facilitation and the preservation of biodiversity in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It argues that while measures to ease the movement of goods and people—such as those proposed by the WTO, ASEAN, and the GMS Cross Border Transport Agreement—can stimulate economic development, they also risk exacerbating the illegal trade in wildlife and timber by providing easier transit routes for smugglers. The author highlights that current conservation efforts are often fragmented by national borders, whereas the ecoregions they protect are transboundary. The report recommends that GMS states rationalize conservation measures, strengthen penal laws, and coordinate customs intelligence to mitigate the risks posed by trade facilitation.

• The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) has experienced significant forest cover loss between 1969 and 2007, with Cambodia declining from 73% to 55.3%, Lao PDR from 70% in 1940 to 40% in 2007, and Thailand from 53.35% in 1961 to approximately 28% by 2007.
• International trade is a primary driver of biodiversity loss in the GMS, with some estimates suggesting that up to 90% of timber from Cambodia is harvested illegally.
• Trade facilitation measures under the WTO, such as the 'Freedom of transit' and 'Single window approach', present risks that could encourage illegal trade by reducing the costs of movement and providing alternative routes for contraband.
• The GMS Cross Border Transport Agreement facilitates the movement of goods but lacks the strict environmental regulations for wildlife and timber that are present for 'dangerous goods', leaving regulation to individual national authorities.
• Conservation efforts in the GMS are often ineffective because protected areas are established within national borders, while the actual biodiversity habitats (ecoregions) are transboundary.
• Variations in penal sanctions across GMS states create incentives for illegal traders to operate in countries with weaker laws; for example, poachers may move from Thailand into Cambodia or Vietnam if penalties are lower there.
• The ASEAN Roadmap for an ASEAN Community 2009–2015 includes mandates to combat illegal logging and fishing, develop a regional framework for forest certification by 2015, and harmonize environmental policies.
• The Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (BCI), executed by the ADB, aims to establish priority biodiversity conservation landscapes and corridors by 2015 to reduce ecosystem fragmentation.

APA

Barcenas, L.-L. A. B. (2010). How Trade Facilitation Measures Impact Current Law and Policy on the Wildlife and Timber Trade. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_facilitation_wildlife_timber.pdf

Chicago

Barcenas, Lai-Lynn Angelica B. How Trade Facilitation Measures Impact Current Law and Policy on the Wildlife and Timber Trade. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_facilitation_wildlife_timber.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Barcenas |first1=Lai-Lynn Angelica B. |title=How Trade Facilitation Measures Impact Current Law and Policy on the Wildlife and Timber Trade |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_facilitation_wildlife_timber.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{barcenas2010how, author = {Barcenas, Lai-Lynn Angelica B.}, title = {{How Trade Facilitation Measures Impact Current Law and Policy on the Wildlife and Timber Trade}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_facilitation_wildlife_timber.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }