Ahead of the December 30, 2024, European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) launch, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Indonesia, Nigeria, Paraguay and Peru have expressed concerns about the impact of the law.
The law seeks to ban the importation of seven commodities into the European markets from December 31, 2024.
The seven commodities are cocoa, coffee, beef, palm oil, soy, rubber and wood.
In a report by the World Trade Organisation seen by THE WHISTLER, the countries, joined by several others, expressed concerns about the trade impact of the new regulation.
While they acknowledged the policy’s objective, they criticized the EUDR as a unilateral measure with a punitive nature.
They also noted the lack of clear guidance on enforcement regulations, with only three months remaining before implementation.
The report said, “Several members highlighted the risk of significant trade disruptions, particularly for small farmers in developing economies who may struggle to comply and face exclusion from the European market due to capacity.
“Others argued that the regulation was unnecessary and created excessive burdens for producers in economies with low deforestation risk.”
Some members have called for further consultations with the EU on the matter, and urged the EU to delay the implementation of the regulation and the enforcement of penalties until these challenges are addressed.
The WTO noted that it submitted a letter to the EU on September 11, requesting the suspension of the deforestation loan.