The logging ban in Myanmar was lifted at the end of March 2017, and now the government says it is on its way to bringing verifiably legal timber to the international market. The ban was hailed by environmental groups as an important gesture from a country that had lost an enormous 10.8 percent of its forest cover between 2010 and 2015, much of it to illegal smugglers.
India is a significant importer of Myanmar timber products, and over 20 entrepreneurs have invested into timber manufacturing business there. Indian Plywood industry is heavily dependent for its hardwood and teak veneers procurement, which expect sustainable supply of logs for their mills once logging ban lifts. Myanmar timber industry hopes for the arrival of fresh and quality logs by end of this year.
Barber Cho, the secretary of the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee, said earlier this week: “Some markets make a big deal about certifications, while some don’t. The US and EU markets ask for certificates, so we have to show them we have a solid system.”
When the ban ended, the Myanmar Timber Enterprise – a state-run monopoly that is meant to control Myanmar’s timber trade – announced that it would eliminate the use of contractors in the timber harvesting process. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC) is implementing systems to ensure the traceability of Myanmar timber to its source.
“MONREC is committed to streamline our systems, including simplification of current hammer-marking, so that our exporters can clearly demonstrate to their customers that all our timber product exports comply with our laws,” the ministry announced on March 16.
While the ban was in place, the Myanmar Timber Enterprise planned to rely on existing stockpiles of timber to meet domestic and international demand for Myanmar timber. But the ban and the stockpiles failed to eliminate competition from illegal smugglers. Khin Maung Yi, the Permanent Secretary of MONREC, announced that Myanmar authorities intercepted around 50,000 tons of illegal timber during the period of the ban. They also arrested 8,310 Myanmar nationals and 11 foreigners for illegal timber smuggling