18 November 2014
TTM Report Features Call for ITTO to Engage Private Sector in Tropical Timber Trade
story highlights

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) launched the 1-15 November issue of the Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report highlighting the call from the Trade Advisory Group (TAG) for ITTO to develop a strategy for private sector engagement in tropical timber trade and markets.

ITTO logo16 November 2014: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) has released the 1-15 November issue of the Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report, highlighting a call from the Trade Advisory Group (TAG) for ITTO to develop a strategy for private sector engagement in tropical timber trade and markets.

Related to this call, the ITTO Annual Market Discussion, held during the 50th session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC-50), focused on the gradual shift in tropical timber market demand from West to East and the opportunity to recapture market share through timber certification.

In Asia, the report notes that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia are likely to benefit from drastic reductions in the requirements for timber certification, which have previously served as a barrier to entry for many small producers. The report also highlights plans for Myanmar’s Timber Industries to lease 70 of its 80 mills to the private sector.

In India, the report states that producer organizations are calling for the government to secure domestic raw material supplies in order to meet high demand in the plywood industry, while in Japan, consumer markets continue to negatively impact tropical timber markets with furniture purchases dropping.

Other developments featured in the report include plans to increase log export taxes in Guyana, and an increased market share for Viet Nam’s furniture industry in the US.

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 21] [IISD RS story on ITTC-50]


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