The WWF-UK has revealed that imports from outside the EU are the furniture industry’s biggest challenge when dealing with sourcing timber from legitimate producers.
According to its new report ‘Are you sitting comfortably? Sustainable timber sourcing and the UK furniture industry’, the WWF-UK has highlighted that 59% of furniture imported to the UK from outside the EU is worth about £3.5 bn.
Within the category, China provides the most furniture imports at 42%, with Italy at 15% and Poland at 10% the other double-digit furniture importers. Vietnam and Germany followed at 8% and 7% respectively.
The report showed that only 42% of imported oak into the UK is from the EU, whilst over half is from Ukraine with some from Bosnia and Russia.