The logging of most of Taiwan's old growth forest has led to the sunset of the industry with remaining stands protected by law.
[5] By the early 19th century most camphor tree reserves had been depleted with the remaining large stands in Japan and Taiwan with Taiwanese production greatly exceeding Japanese.
[6] When its use in the nascent chemical industries greatly increased the volume of demand in the late 19th century, potential for changes in supply and in price followed.
In 1911 Robert Kennedy Duncan, an industrial chemist and educator, related that the Imperial Japanese government had recently (1907–1908) tried to monopolize the production of natural camphor as a forest product in Asia but that the monopoly was prevented by the development of the total synthesis alternatives,[7] Taiwan acacia (Acacia confusa), also known as Formosan koa and Asian walnut, is a hardwood species native to Taiwan.
Illegal logging is a major issue in Taiwan with significant revenue derived from the activity by organized crime and downstream industries.
[11] Deforestation in Taiwan is the changes on the forested area in the island due to economy factors, such as agriculture, urban expansion etc.