The Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology (NTI) is Europe’s first body to be approved as an independent certification organisation for glulam and structural timber being exported to Japan.
The NTI’s new status as a Registered Certification Organisation follows a change of rules in Japan which allows foreign groups to apply to become independent certifiers on behalf of Japanese authorities. The old system of certifying in co-operation with the Japan Plywood Inspection Corporation (JPIC) proved expensive and bureaucratic.
The NTI, which has been certifying European glulam companies through JPIC since 1996, is currently re-certifying firms. It has also certified two Swedish sawmills grading structural timber to Japanese standards.
Of the 400,000m3 of structural glulam imported to Japan from Europe during 2002, 180,000m3 came from companies certified by the NTI.
