China has fully banned commercial logging in forests in the country’s territory, according to an announcement by the State Forestry Administration (SFA).

The country set to accomplish the full prohibition in commercial logging step by step. In 2015, China first unveiled its plan to ban commercial logging in natural forests in key forest zones, including those in Northeast China’s Jilin Province and North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, followed by a prohibition of commercial logging in State-owned plantations the next year. The last stage of its plan will be enacted this year in order to achieve a total ban on commercial logging, according to China News Service reported on March 16.

China has a large strong demand for timber, with around 49.94 million cubic meters of timber imported every year, making it the largest importer in the world, and it remains the second largest consumer, with 500 million cubic meters per year. The needs of timber in the country will rise to 700 million cubic meters, according to Yan Zhen, director of the Department of Development, Planning and Finance under the SFA.

Given the country’s hope to reduce its dependence on timber imports to less than 30% by 2030, China will step up efforts to plan and establish 20 national forest reserves in seven key areas, which needs 520 billion yuan invested into the plan, Yan revealed.

Those seven key areas including southeastern coastal areas and middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Yan went on to say that it’s impossible to fully depend on national financing support, and the SAP has sought to solve the problem through more investment and financing methods.