A levy on all UK sales of timber and wood products to fund industry promotion would be allowed under competition regulation and could be in place by the beginning of 2005.
Speaking to the TTF International and UK Suppliers Division annual lunch, BSW vice-chairman John Brownlie said that the working group setting out the parameters of the proposed levy had received legal clearance.
“TTF vice-president John Tong has taken the advice of leading competition lawyers and they have confirmed that we won’t be breaking the law,” said Mr Brownlie, who was standing in at the lunch for the chairman of the levy working group, Scottish Timber Trade Association president Michael Walker.
Mr Brownlie said that there is industry-wide support for the levy, from harvesters upwards, and he urged the homegrown and imported sectors to unite behind the initiative to “eliminate parallel effort”.
“There is an absolute need to rapidly role out the mechanics of this proposal,” he said. “Ideally the levy should be in place on October 1 this year so that the money is available in January 2005.”
The timber industry, he added, had a huge market opportunity given the growing government and industry demand for products with sound environmental credentials.
He acknowledged that some businesses which didn’t contribute would benefit from the levy.
“There will be carpet baggers – but we should not let this weaken our resolve.”
TTF International Division chairman Kevin Hayes also backed the levy, echoing Mr Brownlie’s words that the trade would be “commercially inept” to let the initiative fail. “There will be resistance, but let’s try and push this through. It’s so important for the industry.”
