The Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Councils (QA3P) has partnered wood and paper industry leaders from Canada, Chile, Europe, New Zealand and the United States in a global call for accelerated trade liberalisation in wood and paper products through the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Doha Development Agenda.
In this timely flashback story in August 2007, JIM BOWDEN reported that between them, in world exports, the industry leaders represented 78% in wood products, 81% in wood pulp and 86% in paper.
A3P chief executive Neil Fisher said the Doha negotiations offered an unparalleled opportunity to eliminate trade barriers and put in place more effective trade rules.
“Global subsidies and tariffs currently distort world trade in wood and paper products,” Mr Fisher said. “These barriers are a leading contributor to Australia’s $2 billion trade deficit wood and paper.
“Trade liberalisation is critical to the economic and environmental progress of the global wood and paper industry – an industry that employs nearly 13 million people in 200 nations, often in rural areas where there are few other employment opportunities,” he said.
“Fostering a legitimate forest products industry could also help reduce deforestation by expanding the opportunity for communities to benefit from their forests.”
A3P joins representatives from the global wood and paper industry in calling on the WTO to reach agreement on expanding global market access on agricultural and non-agricultural products by the end of 2007.
Signatories to the global statement include A3P, the Wood Processors Association of New Zealand, Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), Corporacion Chilena de la Madera (CORMA), American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), New Zealand Forest Owners Association, and the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
Meanwhile, A3P and Timber Queensland Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) confirming their future partnership.
A3P CEO Neil Fisher said the MOU enhanced the existing cooperative relations between the two organisations.
“The A3P and Timber Queensland MOU formalises our joint position on a range of national policy issues such as climate change, emissions trading and structural timber,” Mr Fisher said.
“Our objectives are similar – a strong, profitable and sustainable industry supported by sound government policy, so it makes sense to lock in our future partnership.”
Timber Queensland CEO Rod McInnessaid he was pleased to confirm the important alliance and looked forward to enhancing a close working relationship with A3P.
Earlier in 2007, a major review of structural timber standards was also under way following a meeting of A3P solid wood marketing and technical committees.
The A3P solid wood program will address options for the future of SP/MGP grades, development of a national and sector marketing and promotion policy and a re-vamping of the industry quality assurance program.
The program will also review the current F7 treated timber grading and structural properties issue.
An information bulletin on F7 treated timber has been sent to A3P members outlining current concerns about product compliance. Verification of visually graded structural timber is causing considerable concern among many suppliers who say their obligations are limited to compliance with the visual grading rules in AS2858. It appears that this in itself is not sufficient to demonstrate compliance.
A3P will circulate this information to the wider industry to raise the level of awareness and ensure ‘fit-for-purpose’ products are supplied to the building industry.
Editor’s note: In July 2011, Linda Sewell, chair of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), announced the appointment of David Pollard as the organisation’s inaugural CEO.
AFPA was formed in April 2011 through the merger of the Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Council (A3P) and the National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI). As a result of the merger, AFPA has become the national body representing the range of businesses which make up the forest products industry, including tree growers, wood processors and pulp and paper manufacturers.
