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Successfully selling any product requires a competitive marketing strategy and 'a level playing field'. In the case of the forest industry, this is being done through several complementary processes.
Tariffs
New Zealand has for some time taken an active role in freeing up international trade. At various Asian Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) meetings, NZ has supported moves to fast track the removal of tariffs in the forestry sector. At the same, the industry associations have been challenging other non-tariff barriers that have similar potential to limit our forest products trade.
Certification
In several key markets, consumers are expressing greater interest in products that are sustainably grown and produced. In common with several other countries, NZ forest owners and wood processors are now taking steps to 'verify' the environmental quality and sustainability of their operations. The industry associations are supporting the development of NZ standards and the recognition of those internationally. In the meantime, more than 42% of the country’s 1.8 million ha of pine plantations were certified according to the principles of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) by 2004.
Industry Expansion
While in some regions the sharp expansion in harvestable volume over the next 10 – 20 years will stretch both infrastructure and wood processing capability, across the industry as a whole there has been a steady investment in expansion and upgrading of processing capability.
If the investment in growth is maintained, by 2025 New Zealand could be harvesting and processing 40 million m3 of wood each year and earning NZ$14 billion in export revenues annually. |