Malaysian wood-based panel manufacturers are being urged to obtain CE-marking certification.
Speaking at a seminar on European Conformity Marking in Kuala Lumpur, plantation industries and commodities minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui told delegates the EU had introduced a series of measures to facilitate the movement of products throughout the EU and European Free Trade Area – one of which was CE marking.
He said CE marking was regarded as a “passport”, allowing products to be traded in the European market, and that plywood was one of the first wood-based panels to be affected.
Malaysian exports of plywood to Europe amounted to 4% of the total trade value, and Datuk Chin said it was an important market that could not be neglected.
But, he added, only two Malaysian plywood companies had so far obtained CE marking for their products, with three more currently seeking certification. However, there are 52 wood-based panel manufacturers exporting their products to Europe, and Datuk Chin said it was important that more sought CE mark certification.
At the seminar, Datuk Chin also urged Malaysia and Indonesia to work together in the fight against illegal logging.
He said Malaysia did not want to buy illegal timber from Indonesia but admitted both countries needed to work more to resolve log smuggling.
And he said both countries had the same timber species and climate, and had much to gain by working together.
Datuk Chin said he was prepared to meet his Indonesian counterpart to try to resolve the issue properly.
