Emerging markets in the southern hemisphere and Asia are providing the global forest industry with a positive future, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has told delegates at its annual Global Forest and Paper Industry Conference.
Despite global currency fluctuations, which have led to widespread closures and curtailments in North America, PwC said non-Japan Asian countries and those in Central and South America were prospering due to investments in new technology, a favourable climate and low wood costs.
PwC said investments in cutting-edge technology was providing emerging markets with the lowest production costs which, coupled with the abundance of forest area, had given them a competitive advantage in the global forest products market.
“”With a generally favourable climate, fertile soil and abundant land which allows for extremely rapid tree growth, [South America] has some of the lowest wood fibre costs in the world,” said PwC.
“Low wood costs have become a prime competitive advantage in world markets for globally traded forest products.”
More than 400 business heads, policy markers, suppliers and customers attended the conference in Vancouver, Canada.
