Commodities in Focus Weekly: JSC “Kazan Oil Plant” v Aves Trade DMCC [2025] EWHC 2713 (Comm)
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Commodities such as beef, leather, palm oil, cocoa and soy have been identified as some of the key drivers of deforestation, accounting for an estimated 64% of the UK's tropical deforestation footprint. WWF estimates that between 2016 and 2018 around 88% of the UK's land area was required overseas each year to satisfy the UK's demand for these products1. In order to address these issues, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced the UK's intention to ban the import of commodities linked to deforested land.
This legislation follows similar EU Regulation 2023/1115 but is narrower in scope and indicates a step away from voluntary approaches to sustainable commodity sourcing, with the government taking more direct action to help retailers meet deforestation targets and improve supply chain accountability.
In-scope businesses should be aware of the increased requirements for sustainability and transparency in supply-chains and how conformity with the new regulations may impact their business.
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1 WWF Report 'Riskier Business: The UK's Overseas Land Footprint' July 2020.
