Lacey Act
Lacey Act is the US conservation law enacted May 25, 1900 that bans trade in wildlife, fish and plants taken illegally and, since a 2008 amendment, requires import declarations for many plant and wood products.
What it requires
Importers must file a plant and plant product declaration listing genus, species, country of harvest, quantity and recycled content for goods in covered HTS codes. Phase VII brought the remaining covered codes into scope from December 1, 2024, and paper PPQ 505 forms ended January 1, 2026, leaving filing through ACE or APHIS's LAWGS. Goods from illegal sources can be forfeited even without the importer's knowledge, and knowing violations bring criminal fines of up to $500,000 for organizations and five years in prison.
Why it matters
The Lacey Act affects any operator importing wood furniture, paper goods, flooring, musical instruments or tools with wooden handles, because a missing declaration can cause a hold and illegally sourced wood can be forfeited even if the importer did not know. Gibson Guitar's 2012 settlement over imported ebony and rosewood is a well-known example. A 3PL acting as importer of record for home goods should collect species and harvest country data from suppliers before arrival, since APHIS no longer accepts paper declarations.
Related laws
Sources
- APHIS: File a Lacey Act Declaration aphis.usda.gov
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Lacey Act fws.gov
Not legal advice.