16 August 2014: The 1-15 August issue of the Tropical Timber Market (TTM) Report of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) highlights an industry appeal to allow log exports in Indonesia. According to the article, because of the existing ban, Indonesian domestic log prices are half of the international market price.

Other headline stories in the newsletter discuss proposals to use drones to monitor illegal logging in Malaysia and a tightening of formaldehyde regulations in China. Additionally, the publication notes that the US has lifted restrictions on timber imports from Myanmar, while in India, the limited supply of teak from Myanmar is resulting in suppliers requiring cash payments.

The newsletter also reports that Japanese housing starts for June are better than expected, while in the US and Canada an increasing focus on multi-family home construction is decreasing wood demand for the industry. Finally, the EU has informed member States that enforcement of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) should be strengthened, otherwise sanctions will be enacted.

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 15]