If we do not respond to these calls, consumer confidence could be impacted and log and timber product exporters could face increasing difficulties in maintaining market access in an increasingly competitive global environment. The sale of illegally harvested timber is a major problem in the world today. It is the harvesting of timber in contravention of the laws and regulations of the country of harvest, and there are many ways that this might happen. It is difficult to assess the extent of illegal logging; however, Interpol estimates the illegal timber industry is worth around US$152 billion a year. And the World Bank estimates that the global annual market value of losses from illegal cutting of forests at over US$10 billion. Approximately 10 percent to 30 percent of the global timber trade involves illegally harvested timber.