Import tariffs on wood products into China are to be slashed from 15-20% to an average of 2-3% by 2004.
The cut has been approved by members of the World Trade Organisation, according to state forestry administration official Jia Qian.
He says China will have to import large amounts of timber and wood products over the next decade as there is an annual shortage in the domestic market of 60 million m³.
Tariffs on logs and processed timber have been eliminated since last year to encourage imports and in the first 11 months of 2001 China imported 1.85 million m³ of logs and processed timber.
