Representatives from James Latham, Altripan, Wolseley and Kingfisher have discussed European market requirements with Brazilian timber producers during the latest roadshow to be funded by the UK government.
The visit involved a meeting with government authorities in Brasilia, a business forum in Belem with timber suppliers, arranged by The Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and The Forest Trust, in conjunction with Aimex and ABIMCI, as well as visits to forest operations and various factories.
“The business forum had over 60 trade delegates and it was good to hear at first hand about the difficulties faced by the producers,” said Wolseley’s Jermaine Cheetham.
Altripan UK’s Matthew Walduck was impressed that some producers were improving their factory operations despite the economic downturn, while Piers Latham of James Latham said the visit was “eye-opening”.
The TTF said the Brazilian government’s decision not to enter into a Voluntary Partnership Agreement yet with the EU to guarantee legal timber exports could disadvanatge Brazilian suppliers in the future and was a clear concern for the trade.
A follow-up delegation from Brazil is expected to visit the UK next summer.
