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Forest products are valuable commodities in the global market place, but forest peoples and the environment often lose out in the race to make money. With the forest products sector worth $152 billion a year (in 1999), international trade agreements are an important focus point in Fern's campaign. The European Union is a major negotiator in international trade agreements and is also one of the world's largest consumers of forest products.

Trade in itself is neither good nor bad for forests, but trade without sufficient environmental and social protection measures is damaging. Commercial logging is the most important direct cause of loss of primary forest and in several countries the volume of logs harvested illegally exceeds that of those harvested legally. Large-scale mining, exploration for oil, road building and land clearance for agriculture – all commonly export-orientated activities – are other important causes of forest loss.

The aim of Fern's trade campaign is to ensure that EU trade agreements contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of forests and respect for forest people's rights. Fern believes all trade agreements should be conducted in a transparent manner and be subject to a systematic consultation process and Sustainability Impact Assessment before they are signed.