The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) launched the 1 - 15 June 2014 issue of the Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report, which highlights decision-making in public purchasing of timber products in Japan.
In particular, the report notes preferences for locally grown timber, however, while most public offices follow Green Procurement Guidelines, there are no means by which to assess the legality of timber purchased.
15 June 2014: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) launched the 1-15 June 2014 issue of the Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report, which highlights decision-making in public purchasing of timber products in Japan. In particular, the report notes preferences for locally grown timber. However, while the report indicates that most public offices follow Green Procurement Guidelines, it states that there are no means by which to assess the legality of timber purchased.
Other headlines focus on Gabon, where there is a problem issuing tax refunds to the timber industry, which is exacerbating challenges associated with strikes by customs agents that cause delays in exports. Also in Africa, the report notes that a new Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has been appointed in Ghana.
In Malaysia, the report highlights that an estimated 17 million cubic meters of logs are available annually from oil palm that is no longer productive. This supply can be attributed to high oil palm production, for which Malaysia is second only to Indonesia.
Elsewhere, the report notes that Brazil’s national forest inventory has been completed in some states and is continuing in other areas of high priority. The priority for data collection has been set as the ‘arc of deforestation’ including areas across five provinces that are most vulnerable to deforestation.
With regard to investments in timber production, the report notes that China is estimated to supply about US$90 billion in foreign investment per year. For imported tropical timber products, the report says that while imports to the UK and the Netherlands have increased, overall imports of logs to the EU have dropped by 34% over the first four months of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. In the US, however, wood door and window markets are expected to increase.
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 further recounts regional tropical timber market statistics from Central and West Africa, Europe and North America.
The TTM published through the ITTO Market Information Service (MIS) requires free registration to access the reports. [Publication: Tropical Timber Market Report – Issue 18 Number 11]