The Port of Swansea has handled the single largest consignment of forest products ever to be shipped into south Wales.
A cargo of 16,000m3 of plywood from China and Malaysia arrived aboard the Thai-registered mv Sumana at RKL Plywood UK’s forest products terminal recently before being distributed throughout the UK.
Similar volumes of plywood will be shipped to the port on a regular basis by RKL, which earlier this year signed a 15-year agreement with Port of Swansea owner Associated British Ports (ABP).
RKL predicts its annual timber imports could grow to more than 250,000m3, the majority of which will come in to Swansea.
The company’s new £1.6m warehouse and distribution facility, currently being constructed by ABP, will accommodate the rising volumes and complement RKL’s timber operation in Brazil.
RKL national sales manager Chris Jones said: “RKL is rapidly expanding in new directions, and the long-standing relationship we enjoy with ABP is central to realising the company’s future growth prospects.”
Clive Thomas, acting port director for ABP’s South Wales Ports, said: “The construction of RKL’s new warehouse and the recent agreement to ship increased volumes of timber through Swansea mean that the port is ideally placed to grow its timber trade.”
