1 August 2014: The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) released the 16-31 July issue of the Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report highlighting a projected rebound in the EU construction sector which, although growth has been slow, is still a significant market for tropical wood products.

The newsletter notes that another significant consumer of timber, the EU laminate flooring market, has also been slow to recover, although the housing sector in India is showing increasing investment with projected benefits for plywood producers.

Also with regard to plywood, the report says that plywood inventories are increasing in Japan due to a weakening market, resulting in price drops. On the other hand, Brazilian exports of plywood and sawnwood have increased in value by 6.5% compared to June 2013.

Other headline stories covered in the report include a ban on rosewood extraction in Ghana, the establishment of a national timber reserve alliance in China, and the launch of discussions on a timber trade deal between Australia and Indonesia.

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, published through the ITTO Market Information Service (MIS), requires free registration to access the reports. [Publication: Tropical Timber Market Report – Issue 18 Number 14]