When it comes to New Zealand, we are mainly an exporter of timber products; however, timber imports have increased by approximately 70 percent over the last decade to $2.35 billion of timber products imported in 2021. The rising volume of timber imports into New Zealand increases the risk that we become a destination for any illegally harvested timber products. This is because we do not have any mandatory timber assurance measures and we are largely dependent on the voluntary assurance measures that are in place through industry initiatives and environmental certification. This bill will create a due diligence system that will shut the door on illegally harvested timber products and will show the global community that New Zealand is committed to helping eradicate this problem. Our primary processors—importers and exporters—will need to check and validate the integrity of the information provided by the grower, or person they bought the timber from, to assess whether it has been illegally harvested. This due diligence system may be streamlined through using an approved template or by being a member of an existing forestry certification scheme such as the Forest Stewardship Council or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. This is to alleviate the burden of the new regulatory system.