Britain and illegal logging

[Guest guest]

Britain may lift ban on Indonesian plywoodSource: The Jakarta Post, March 10,

2004

By Rendi A. Witular

Jakarta

Indonesian plywood products may be allowed to enter the British market again

after officials met with British buyers to clarify allegations the plywood was

made from illegal timber. Forestry Industry Revitalization Agency (BRIK) head

Soewarni told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday British buyers had indicated they

would revoke the ban after the Indonesian government recently issued a statement

over the legality of the plywood. " We have recently met, and convinced the

buyers along with the British government and timber associations over the

legality of the wood used for the plywood. They appeared to have agreed with

us, " Soewarni said.

She said during the two-day meeting on Feb. 5 and Feb. 6, the Indonesian

delegation met with the Tropical Forest Trust, the British International

Development Department, global environmental group Greenpeace, the Environmental

Investigation Agency, Down to Earth and industry representatives. According to

Soewarni, the businesses, timber associations and British government officials

would visit the country in April or May, to ensure Indonesian had adopted timber

sustainability requirements set by the foreign buyers and associations.

Britain has banned Indonesian plywood products since November last year

following a report by Greenpeace, which alleged about 90 percent of Indonesian

plywood exported to Britain was made of illegally cut timber. Buyers could not

accept the plywood because the British government had signed an agreement with

the Indonesian government two years ago to reject all forestry-based products

suspected of being produced from illegally cut logs, the BRIK said. At least 17

local companies businesses had been affected by the ban, the BRIK said.

Indonesia exported about five million tons of plywood last year, generating

revenue of about US$450 million.

 

 

 

 

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