15 March 2013: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) has launched the 1-15 March issue of the Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report.

The report highlights stories on the impact of the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) on reduced trade in Chinese plywood, while also noting that the EUTR could improve the competitiveness of tropical plywood manufacturing. In Asia, the publication considers the ongoing debate in Indonesia on the forest concession moratorium, the shortage of softwood plywood in Japan, as well as changes in Japan’s consumer confidence.

The report also highlights Cameroon’s ban on exports of boules and clean sawn timber, the strong demand for teak in India and the pledge by Walmart to buy more US-made furniture.

In addition to the headline stories, the report contains tropical timber market reports from Brazil, China, Ghana, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar and Peru. The report also recounts regional tropical timber market statistics from Central and West Africa, Europe and North America.

The TTM Report is published through the ITTO Market Information Service (MIS) with the aim of improving transparency in the international tropical timber market. [Publication: Tropical Timber Market Report – Volume 17 Number 5, 1-15 March]