A new law passed by the United States Congress in 2008 is significantly affecting businesses, especially those engaged in the export of wood products. The new law, referred to as the Lacey Act Amendment, governs the import of products into the US and requires importers to show US Customs that any product made of plant material has not been using threatened or endangered species or otherwise against the laws of the country of origin. Last November, US agents raided a factory operated by Gibson, the internationally renowned makers of guitars, which allegedly was using endangered forest wood to make instruments. The Lacey Act, originally signed into law in 1900, is a conservation law that focuses on illegal commercial transportation of wildlife and non-native species. The amendments are intended to protect forests worldwide from deforestation, and illegal wood products from entering the United States. Estimates are that US$460 million was lost by the US in 2007 in its export sales because of illegally harvested wood. Exporters in West Africa are feeling the law's impact too. The President f of the Ghana Handicrafts Exporters Association, Mr. Osei Opoku- Ampomah, says the laws pose a problem because exporters source their products from artisans who are sometimes illiterate and cannot fill out papers attesting to the legal origin of the wood they use. He however said the association is working with the Forestry Commission in Ghana to develop a system that will work for artisans. The West African Trade Hub organised a regional workshop for home decor and fashion accessories" exporters which helped exporters understand what the new rules actually say and how to comply with them. In a related development, forest communities in the developing world that have been ravaged by the effects of illegal logging last week won the backing of the European Parliament after its members voted in favour of tough new legislation that could pave the way fot an ED-wide ban on illegal timber imports. The result saw members of the European Parliament from across the political spectrum overwhelmingly agree to adopt new measures to help curb the illegal timber trade, worth an estimated £1.5 billion annually in lost assets and revenue. Source: B&FT