Is mahogany logged or traded illegally?
Prior to the listing of big-leaf mahogany on CITES Appendix II, the mahogany trade was to be conducted according CITES Appendix III, on which it was previously listed by Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru. Evidence exists, however, that much of the trade was not in compliance. Disparities in trade data – importing countries reporting more mahogany imports than exporting countries declared – indicate that there may be substantial illegal logging and trading of mahogany. Illegally logged mahogany is exported out of range states without proper CITES certification, and is almost certainly harvested at levels that are unsustainable.
