The Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species ( CITES ) has imposed trade restrictions on all 300 species of rosewood . Trade in the timber , which is used in China ’s booming luxury furniture industry , is leading to deforestation in south - east Asia , west Africa and central America . A three times increase since 2005 puts the value of the timber at an estimated $ 2.2bn p.a . The UN Office of Drugs and Crime reports that rosewood is the most trafficked wild product in the world , providing a third of all seizures in terms of value .
The Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has imposed trade restrictions on all 300 species of rosewood. Trade in the timber, which is used in China’s booming luxury furniture market, is leading to deforestation in south-east Asia, west Africa and central America. A 65 times increase since 2005 puts the value of the trade at an estimated $2.2bn p.a. The UN Office of Drugs and Crime reports that rosewood is the most trafficked wild product in the world, providing a third of all seizures in terms of value.