The International Timber Trade Organization (ITTO) reports that according to Tri Purnajaya, the Chargé d’affaires of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, Indonesia has the opportunity to increase exports of wood products to Japan because Indonesian products have a good reputation in Japan.
To expand export sales, the Chargé d’affaires said that the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo is ready to help increase the export of processed wood products – especially plywood.
He pointed out that exports of Indonesian wood products to Japan in 2019 were worth around US$1.55 billion which he estimated was around 8% of all Japan’s wood product imports.
However, the pandemic has disrupted trade and poses huge challenges. In the first half of 2020, Indonesia’s wood product exports to Japan fell around 4%. Nevertheless, Tri Purnajaya is optimistic because demand for wood products in Japan is still high and consumption will increase as the economy recovers.
Handjaja, a representative of the Indonesian Wood Panel Association (Apkindo), Handjaja, said Indonesia is a major global plywood exporter. Plywood exports were worth US$1.7 billion in 2019. He further said Indonesian plywood meets the required quality standards in Japan and is verified legal under the SVLK.
Source: ITTO TTM Report
