CMA CGM halts timber exports from Gambia due to suspicious rosewood trade
Following several suspicions that undeclared rosewood may have been part of cargo shipments from the Gambia, the group has decided to halt its timber exports from the country until further notice.
July 09, 2020: CMA CGM Group is reinforcing its procedures for shipping protected species, the trade in which is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Following several suspicions that undeclared rosewood may have been part of cargo shipments from the Gambia, the group has decided to halt its timber exports from the country until further notice. Rosewood is a protected species, and trade in it is regulated by the CITES. This highly sought-after wood is felled illegally in the region and then exported under various different guises. This illicit trade is heavily implicated in the deforestation of West Africa.
With these measures, the Group is again demonstrating its leadership within the shipping industry in the protection of the environment. This decision, which is part of the strengthening of the group's CSR policy, illustrates CMA CGM’s resolve to help conserve global biodiversity and not to further imperil our planet’s future.
As part of these tighter procedures, shippers must expressly state whether a species is covered by the CITES convention and, where appropriate, provide the requisite export permit whenever any animal or plant goods are carried. c We are also enhancing the training of our sales agents around the world and tightening up our “know-your-customer” audit procedures, in coordination with the CMA CGM Academy and the CITES.
