A report in the Jakarta Post about a UK ban on Indonesian timber imports has been dismissed by The Timber Trade Federation.

The story appeared in the newspaper today and quoted the Indonesian Forest Industry Revitalisaton Agency (BRIK).

The TTF said the story was wrong; the UK had never imposed a ban and the reported BRIK comments were “misleading and inaccurate”.

” The UK Timber Trade Federation would never support any bans or boycotts of suppliers, believing that market forces are the best way to achieve the goals of legality and sustainability,” said TTF spokesman Mark O’Brien. ” Different suppliers have to respond to demands made on them in any given marketplace.”

&#8220The UK Timber Trade Federation would never support any bans or boycotts ”

TTF spokesman Mark O’Brien

While the UK has not banned Indonesian wood imports, Jewson, Travis Perkins and Finnforest have independently suspended their purchasing, pending evidence that suppliers can guarantee legality.

“The UK trade needs to have confidence in the legality of supplies and will continue to work hard to achieve this objective,” said Mark O’Brien.

He added that at a meeting on February 6 with the TTF, UK International Development Department, environmental NGOs and representatives of the UK and Indonesian timber trade, BRIK and the Indonesian Forestry Ministry agreed to consider improvements in the BRIK sourcing system, particularly regarding independent verification of legality.