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The UK Government has finally opened consultation on regulations to block products linked to illegal deforestation from UK markets – five years after the commitment. The delay matters. While the EU's Deforestation Regulation has already taken effect, UK businesses still lack clarity on domestic requirements. The consultation will shape scope and enforcement: which commodities (soy, palm, cocoa, timber), which geographies, what due diligence standard applies to importers and retailers. Timber firms and agricultural traders have waited half a decade for this. Some will have already aligned with EU rules as a hedge; others may have done nothing. The regulation, when it lands, will force supply chain mapping at scale – particularly for mid-market importers who've avoided the issue. A five-year gap between announcement and consultation suggests implementation won't arrive quickly. Expect 12–18 months minimum before rules take effect. The question isn't whether this was necessary – deforestation-linked commodity imports remain a known ESG exposure – but whether a two-year stagger behind the EU creates competitive disadvantage or, conversely, allows the UK to learn from early implementation problems elsewhere. Either way, consultation feedback will reveal which sectors are prepared and which are scrambling.