The coronavirus outbreak that originated from China has now infected more than 80,000 people globally and is currently spreading in Europe and the Middle East tumbling markets across the world. As the virus advances throughout the world, wood trade in and with China is at the moment disrupted and suffering…
According to an article in the Guardian newspaper, the UK wants to spearhead “a major global crackdown on illegal timber and deforestation” by forming a coalition of developing countries against the trade as part of its hosting of UN climate talks in Glasgow in November this year. According to the…
With import totals for 2019 now available it is known that US imports of sawn tropical hardwood increased by 12% but the good news ended there as imports of other categories of tropical hardwood products fell during the year that has just ended. Hardwood plywood imports were down 7%. Tropical…
The European Panel Federation (EPF) has published a position paper regarding the new European Green Deal. It highlights the immense potential of wood-based materials for a functioning circular economy and long-term binding and avoidance of carbon emissions. The EPF welcomes the ambitions of the European Green Deal to achieve climate neutrality…
An analysis of EU trade data by the FLEGT Independent Market Monitor (IMM), an ITTO project funded by the EU, shows that FLEGT licensed products from Indonesia, particularly wooden furniture and doors, were on course to be the biggest winners in the EU tropical timber market last year. Overall the…
Heavy rains have been affecting forest operations in the DRC and the Republic of Congo. Reports say flooding has been serious in many provinces with areas bordering the rivers Ubangi, Congo and their tributaries being badly affected forcing people to evacuate. The heavy disruptive rains in Cameroon, Republic of Congo…
Sweden’s total stocks of coniferous sawlogs, pulpwood and chips are estimated to have reached 9.5 million cubic metres as of December 31, 2019. This is an increase of 15% since the previous year. It was the large volumes in stock at year-end since 2008, as Swedish Forest Agency reported. Stocks…
As the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) reports, according to reports from the Agricultural Specialist at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing as well as the Chinese Ministry of Finance, the Chinese government will remove U.S. hardwood lumber import tariffs starting on February 28, 2020, for one year. Extracts from a statement…
According to preliminary data of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), a total of 63 million cubic metres of roundwood was harvested in 2019 from Finnish forests for the forest industries. When the nine million cubic metres harvested for energy production are taken into account, the total amount of roundwood…
At their December meeting, the EU Expert Group on EUTR and FLEGT, comprising representatives of the EC and government authorities from across the EU, reiterated their view that it is not possible to demonstrate a negligible risk that any timber from Myanmar is legally harvested in line with EUTR definitions….
