Sabah timber product exporters will need a special licence to allow them to ship goods to the EU.
The state’s chief minister Musa Aman said the move was designed to discourage illegal logging and was a result of the EU’s action plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade.
The licence arrangement, which takes effect later this year, means exporters must obtain certification that wood is sourced legally, otherwise it will be considered illegal and banned from the EU market.
Sabah Timber Industry Association (STIA) is trying to find out more information about the plans, though it understands that the Malaysian Timber Industries Board is currently working on the method for certification.
STIA says the certification requirement follows allegations about the processing industry using illegal logs from neighbouring Indonesia.
