sawlogs

An organisation aiming to ensure tropical timber is used sustainably across the European Union will be launched next month.

In a bid to spur timber harvesting on the coast, the provincial government announced it will look at new technology for scaling logs, fast-track the auction of an additional 500,000 cubic metre of timber and make improvements to the log-export system.

A new Five-Year Outlook shows no slowdown in wood products imports but China’s housing and economy will need additional government stimulus to get construction moving later in 2013.

New Zealand log exports have remained consistent this year, now recording a 7th consecutive month above 1million m³ in August. Year to date figures show a 3% increase in exports compared to the year to August 2011 on the back of a strong month in June.

Log costs for Russian sawmills did not fall as the Russian government intended when it implemented a 25 percent log export tariff in 2008.