An EIA study suggests EU and US traders are seeking alternative routes to acquire Myanmar teak from merchants who provide falsified origin papers. This claim is in a recent EIA report.

The EIA says that according to Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, between June 2021 and December 2023, the EU imported more than Eur34 million worth of teak directly from Myanmar. Notably, total teak imports from Myanmar into the EU decreased from around Eur23.5 million in 2022 to just over Eur3.8 million in 2023. While this is a positive decrease in the trade this figure should be at zero. And does this tailing off of direct trade mean demand for teak has decreased? It is unlikely.

EIA strongly believes that Burmese teak is being shipped into EU and US markets via other countries by traders who disguise the wood’s true origin to circumvent sanctions.