The Malaysian Timber Council organised a Resource and Business Mission to South America for the first time last year.
The mission is part of the Council’s Raw Material Augmenting Supply programme which helps Malaysia’s manufacturers secure a steady source of supply.
The delegation, made of eight companies, was led by MTC Deputy CEO Richard Yu. Members of the mission visited timber plantation hubs in Concepcion and Los Angeles in the Bio Bio Region, Chile, as well as Curitiba in the State of Parana, Brazil.
They will also be seeking new business opportunities in Chile and Brazil as these countries produce tropical timber species whose properties are similar to that of Malaysian hardwoods. Some of these alternative timber species are Taeda Pine sawn timber, Eucalyptus veneer and Ipe, Jatoba and Cumaru.
“MTC is always looking for new sources of timber supply for our local manufacturers. We also want to introduce new timber species in the market which can be used as an alternative supply of raw material. This will value-add and diversify our product range,” said MTC CEO Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Nik.
Members of the delegation will also be visiting factories to learn about the timber processing practices in these two countries.
