|
Trade and Market Transparency (TMT)
International tropical timber markets are undergoing structural
changes in the face of changing global demand and supply patterns and
market requirements. Transparency is essential for promoting international
trade in timber and other products from sustainably managed and legally
harvested tropical forests. Improvements in market transparency that need
to be addressed include assessments of future demand and supply, the description
of value chains for tropical timber products, end uses, characteristics
of markets (including domestic markets in tropical regions), and factors
influencing market conditions and the competitiveness of tropical timber
producers. Enhanced market information on non-timber forest products (NTFPs)
and a better knowledge of international market opportunities would help
the development of forest-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMFEs),
which dominate the NTFP sector. Other specific information gaps include
markets for lesser-used species and new plantation timbers.
Public and private timber procurement policies and emerging
regulations designed to promote trade in legally produced timber and timber
products represent new challenges, especially for tropical timber exporters.
Non-tarriff barriers and tariff escalation, technical, health and sanitary
standards and product specifications in major import markets are also
evolving and influencing market requirements for timber and timber products.
There is a need to monitor these developments and to support tropical
timber producing countries in meeting the challenges they pose. Consumption
and trade can be encouraged by communicating the environmental credentials
of tropical timber and timber products to buyers, consumers and other
stakeholders.
The lack of adequate information makes it difficult to improve
national policy and regulatory frameworks and thereby to promote trade
in timber and other products from tropical forests. Many ITTO producer
member countries will benefit from strengthening information systems concerning
the forestry sector and domestic and export markets for forest products.
|
