Forest industry associations from Australia, Canada, Chile, South Africa, New Zealand and the US have urged trade negotiators to focus on delivering a major opening up of world wood and paper markets through the World Trade Organisation‘s Doha Development Agenda.
The association met prior to the Global Forest Summit in Vancouver which brought together more than 600 delegates from 27 countries.
And June 6 will see a delegation in Geneva where they will press the industry’s case directly to government negotiators and the World Trade Organisation.
For the first time the delegation will include observers from the Malaysian Timber Council and the Confederation of European Paper Industries.
The associations say they need to see tariffs eliminated and action taken to address non tariff barriers in the sector so they can expand output and jobs and continue to make the economic, social and environmental contribution on which their countries depend.
