MANILA, PHILIPPINES -- The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BoC) announced it will step up efforts to halt illegal imports of wood, especially shipments arriving from China.

The agency estimates that approximately 200 to 450 40-foot container loads of "sub-standard" plywood alone comes into the country each month from China, according to GMA News.

The Philippine Wood Producers Association(PWPA)  said that for every container load of illegally imported plywood that enters the Philippines, 16 people lose their jobs. The nation's 30-plus mills employ more than 30,000 people.

The BoC's pledge to combat plywood smuggling comes six months after the PWPA issued a plea for stronger enforcement.