India is the third largest importer of illegally logged timber in the world, after China and Vietnam, says a study by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). With an annual import value of over Rs.40 billion, the country accounts for close to 10 per cent of the global illegal wood trade. More than 40 scientists from around the world, coordinated by IUFRO, contributed to the study, which was released at the Conference of Convention on Biological Diversity in Cancun, Mexico, in early December. The study estimates almost one-third of tropical timber traded globally to be illegally sourced from clearing natural forests, mostly in the Amazon and Southeast Asia. It highlights that the economic growth in China and India is driving the demand for illegally logged timber in both nations.