Indonesia has relaxed its ban on sawn timber exports in an effort to inject life into the country’s ailing wood products industry.
New regulations allowing the export of 32 wood-based products, including sawn timber, veneer and panels, will come into force on March 3, replacing two ministerial decrees issued in 2004 which had banned sawn timber exports.
Sawn timber with four sides and a width of less than 4m2 will qualify for export but exporters must first gain permission from the Forestry Industry Revitalisation Agency.
The regulations will be closely monitored by the trade ministry, with only registered exporters allowed to ship their products.
The government’s original ban had been implemented in a bid to conserve Indonesia’s forests. But the decision has hit the timber industry.
Wood exports to Japan fell by 22.7% last year to 1.7 million m3.
