“Name and shame” rogue plywood traders, meeting told

Plywood traders who cheat by misdeclaring their Chinese cargo should be named and shamed, the incoming chairman of The Timber Trade Federation’s National Panel Products Division (NPPD) told a meeting last night.

James Latham director Chris Sutton, speaking at a 52-strong gathering of the Plywood Club of London, said he would be taking a tough stance on cheating when he takes over the NPPD chairman role on February 22.

“I am absolutely sick and tired of meetings where all we talk about is China,” Mr Sutton said.

He said misdeclaring Chinese poplar core plywood cargo under the Coniferous Plywood Quota and other product misdescriptions was “fraudulent and blatant cheating”.

“It’s time to name and shame,” he said. “Some people are worried sick about being caught out, I think it’s a bit of a closed shop.”

He appealed to plywood traders to help him solve the issue.

The attendance at the meeting – 52 people – was the second highest in the Plywood Club of London’s history.

For more on this story see the next issue of TTJ

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