Environmental groups and forest owners have joined forces to demand an urgent tightening of regulations to stop products made from illegally-logged timber being imported or used in New Zealand.

In a joint statement today six lobby groups and four forestry and timber organisations said importers and retailers should have evidence from their suppliers that wooden furniture, hardwood decking and fire logs were sourced from legal and sustainably managed forests.

"Illegal logging, especially in the tropics, is causing huge environmental and social damage and undermines the markets for legal forest products," said one of the signatories, Greenpeace forests campaigner Grant Rosoman.

"The Government continues to talk about the problem but does nothing. We need regulations now to stem the multi-million dollar import of illegal wood products into New Zealand."

Forest Owners Association chief executive David Rhodes said the New Zealand forest industry, and environmental groups, were committed to sustainable forestry.

"Illegal logging and the destruction of rainforests have unfairly sullied the reputation of all wood and forest products -- even those derived from sustainably managed plantation forests," he said.

The joint statement was issued by the Ecologic Foundation, Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand, Greenpeace New Zealand, Forest and Bird, World Wildlife Fund, the Forest Owners Association, the Farm Forestry Association, the Pine Manufacturers Association and the Wood Processors Association.

Last week the Green Party said furniture stores were doing more to stop imports of illegally-logged tropical timber than the Government.

Big Save, Harvey Norman, Briscoes, Farmers and The Warehouse have all said they will not import kwila furniture.