The Regulation
The Lacey Act, originally enacted in 1900, is a US law prohibiting the trade of wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed, transported, or sold. As one of the oldest American conservation acts, its initial aim was to curb over-hunting and prevent the spread of non-invasive species.
Since the Lacey Act’s introduction, it has been amended several times—including major enforcement updates in 2024—to include a wider range of species, raw materials, plants, seeds, and plant-based products. This has helped to minimize the impact of practices like illegal logging while protecting endangered plant and animal species. From handbags to essential oils, desk chairs, guitars, and sculptures, importers must now be able to trace the plant components in their products and have full visibility over where suppliers source their materials.
What This Means
- Companies must verify material origins to remain compliant for imports involving plant and animal products. Failure to comply can result in criminal penalties and forfeiture of goods
- Recent amendments and enforcement modifications have put the Lacey Act in the spotlight, encompassing a far broader scope of materials and products. 2024 brings the introduction of Phase VII, a set of enforcement standards that include new declaration requirements for over 200 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes. This follows a 2008 amendment that introduced declarations for timber imports
- All import declarations must contain the scientific name of any plant (including genus and species), the value of importation and quantity of plant product, and the country of origin from which the plant was taken
Who It Matters For
The Lacey Act’s Phase VII enforcement updates—set to take hold in December 2024—impact businesses and importers across industries. As the US Department of Agriculture describes, it is now crucial to “know your supply chain for each piece of plant material in the product” and to “communicate with your suppliers to obtain plant information.”
Take furniture, for example, which may contain many species within a single finished product, and transshipment may further obscure the origins of those species. Plywood or birch could originate in Russia before being rerouted through China and Vietnam on its way to the US—resulting in a difficult-to-track supply chain. That means engaging suppliers to understand a full value chain and each component’s origins is more complex than ever, especially without a shared source of truth between parties.
How Altana Helps
Altana, the world's first Value Chain Management System, empowers companies to take command of their extended supplier and distribution networks:
See all of your value chains, upstream and downstream, built from detailed material flow visibility and based on your actual product information. This enables you to verify material origins to prepare accurate Lacey Act declarations, understand raw material and plant genus species information, and country of origin.
Focus on areas of exposure and determine priorities amid products with complex components or containing multiple plant inputs from various jurisdictions. Screen new and existing suppliers and products against each compliance requirement—including sanctions, forced labor, and more—with relevant alerts, tailored insights, and AI decision support.
Act across your value chains to get every compliance job done. Triage potential risks, collect and verify documentation from distant suppliers, or build audit trails. Create, manage, and file mandated regulatory reports and escalate concerns both internally and to upstream suppliers from a shared source of truth.
Customers like US Customs and Border Protection, Boston Scientific, L.L.Bean, Maersk, and the UK Department of Business and Trade use Altana to build secure, resilient, efficient, and sustainable global value chains. This comprehensive approach not only meets current regulatory requirements but also prepares organizations for future global trade challenges.
Take the Next Step
In this new era of value chain regulation, taking command of your extended supplier and distribution networks is more critical than ever. Discover how Altana's Value Chain Management System can transform your approach to global trade compliance and value chain management, helping you verify material origins and comply with import laws like the Lacey Act.
