Wyden Statement on Consultations with Peru to Address Illegal Logging

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., released the following statement on  the U.S. Trade Representative’s announcement it will request consultations with Peru, after the Peruvian government stripped independence from the agency that oversees Peru’s logging industry.

“With this action, Peru is taking a step back in the battle against illegal timber trafficking by reducing transparency, accountability and independence of the agency tasked with monitoring the sector. It is inevitable that this move will result in entrenched political and economic interests prevailing over responsible environmental protections and the rule of law, and cost American jobs by creating unfair competition for legal U.S. timber. USTR must take every possible step to address this blatant violation of Peru’s commitments in the Forestry Annex to the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement”

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