KUALA LUMPUR: Europe, particularly the Netherlands and United Kingdom, have become the biggest and strongest markets for Malaysian timber products in recent years as demand in other parts of the world weaken.
As a result, this year should see 15 per cent to 20 per cent growth in "intake of timber products from Malaysia to Europe", said Malaysian Timber Council CEO Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Nik.
This he said, contrasts with the drop in sale of Malaysian timber products to the Middle East because of the drop in oil prices which has impacted economies in that region.
Meanwhile, on the positive side, India is a steadily growing market, and Japan continues to have a voracious appetite for Malaysia's plywood products (50 per cent of Malaysia-manufactured plywood products end up in Japan).
Abdul Rahim was speaking to reporters after launching MTC's International Conference on Wood Architecture, themed Art & Function here today.
Earlier, while reading the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas's speech, Abdul Rahim said that for the period of of January to August this year, Malaysia's total export of timber and timber products was RM14.3 billion, up 3 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2014.
Timber and timber product exports -- ranging from furniture, veneer, plywood, and moldings -- was the third most important commodity after palm oil and rubber in 2014.