TTF wins battle to keep Guyanese greenheart strength class

Controversial European plans to downgrade the strength class of UK graded Guyanese greenheart have been rejected following pressure from The Timber Trade Federation (TTF).

The TTF argued that it was unfair for the European CEN 124 committee to downgrade Guyanese greenheart from D70 to D60 because the test data indicating a new lower strength class was required related to greenheart from Surinam, not Guyana.

“The TTF, on behalf of the UK, strongly opposed this proposal on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to downgrade Guyanese greenheart, which has been used totally safely for many years,” said the TTF.

The TTF argued that there was no basis to apply test data on greenheart from Surinam to greenheart from Guyana.

Using data from a prominent TTF member and technical input from TRADA, UK representatives on the CEN Committee worked to ensure Guyanese greenheart’s D70 classification was retained, while the Surinam species was downgraded to D60.

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