Timber Trade Federation (TTF) members who deal with Malaysia are being advised to redouble checks on their suppliers to ensure they are not unwittingly purchasing illegal Indonesia timber from Malaysia.
The ongoing vigilance is necessary as media reports continue to highlight criminal activity which both Indonesia and Malaysia are trying to combat.
On May 15 the BBC Radio 4 Today programme revealed the results of its investigation into the illegal timber trade. It reported that Malaysia is hoping to implement a total ban on illegal Indonesian imports, while Indonesia has banned the export of uncut logs and asked other nations to help by banning imports of illegal wood.
TTF director-general Paul Martin is due to visit Malaysia to further co-operation with the Malaysian government.
The TTF has also been looking at timber supplies direct from Indonesia to the UK as part of the Indonesia-UK Memorandum of Understanding to tackle illegal logging.
The federation is working with members to develop a collective approach to supplier assessment in Indonesia that will lead to independent auditing of the supply chain. The issue will be debated further at a TTF workshop – Sourcing Legal Timber from Indonesia – in London on June 4.
