China’s huge and growing consumption of forest products could pose a threat to Indonesian forestry according to an NGO study.
The Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Forest Trends and the Chinese centre for agricultural policy conducted the joint study which showed that Chinese imports of forest products rose by 75%, from US$6.4bn to US$11.2bn between 1997 and 2002.
And CIFOR director David Kaimowitz said this has greatly increased the pressure on most Indonesian forests.
The study said preliminary figures suggest imports reached almost US$13bn in 2003. By 2002, China was importing the equivalent of 96 million m3 of wood – around one and a half times Indonesia’s total annual timber harvest.
The majority of Chinese forest product imports come from Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Canada, with Indonesia the largest source of plywood and lumber products.
Mr Kaimowitz said bilateral talks will be required to solve the problem, adding that it will be discussed at the next Asian Forest Partnership meeting.
