Fresh US and European Union efforts to clamp down on the illegal timber trade are expected to take a multi-billion dollar annual toll on Indonesian exports because the south-east Asian nation has failed to enact standards for wood-based products in spite of years of debate.

European parliament officials estimate up to 19 per cent of all wood and paper products entering the EU are of illegal or suspect provenance. Britain estimates that illegal logging costs timber-producing countries $10bn (€7.4bn, £6.8bn) a year in lost taxes and fees.