TIMBER SCRAP FOR JAPAN

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28802, 24 January 1959, Page 12

TIMBER SCRAP FOR JAPAN

Forest Service 4 Negotiations X A thriving export |rade in . Canterbury timber is envisaged by the New Zealand Forest Service in negotiations now under ( way with prospective Japanese buyers. The wood to be sold is Pinus E radiata “scrap”.for pulping. It t will come from the Eyrewell and v Balmoral State forests. s Extensive investigations into the economics of a “scrap” soft- p wood export trade have been r made by the Forest Service and a firm quotation for the supply of a the timber in bulk quantities has fc been given to Japan. A reply to t the offer is being awaited. t Ten inquiries from Japanese or- 1 ganisations or from the agents of c corporations in Japan preceded the investigation ahd negotiations. 1 A proportion of long logs is r being sought by the Japanese with i 1 the timber that the Forest Service t . is prepared to export, but it is t ■ believed that approval will not i 'be given to this. ( The type of material available , for export is now lying on forest . floors. If is the “scrap” left after smaller trees have been taken out r and cut up for chipboard and . firing. >1 Scrap a Nuisiance “Scrap” is considered a nuisiance by foresters; it also can harbour insects and be a fire hazard.y The Japanese want the material J for pulping. Its origin end use » would be paper and Cardboard. ~ r Forest Service tests have in- » dicated that shipments served by j rail directly from the Canterbury ( . plantations to the port at Lyttelton . » would be cheaper in cost than a < 1 similar venture in the North Island. j r The service does not propose to r ■ carry out the actual work of < handling and shifting the timber t itself. That task would be given t to contractors. Although the service has been 1 the New Zealand contact for ex- i port negotiations there is a t possibility that the Selwyn i Plantation Board and other j private plantation owners might 1 be interested later in joining the scheme. i The 1.2 million cubic feet a year t export target is only a preliminary < figure and could be appreciably increased if the sales are success- * ful. t : The Japanese appear at the 1 > moment to be the main potential ‘ buyers of pulpwood from Canter- ' ; bury; but they would not be ■ served to the exclusion of other £ markets that might appear. ' i It is not known whether a trial s shipment would, or could, be made from Lyttelton to Japan. ( It is understood that such a . shipment might be welcomed by the service with the hope of removing any unforeseen hitches in later shipments. The service is enthusiastic about 1 prospects tor its new venture on 1 three counts—first, that the > material proposed for export J has been up to now residual to ' requirement; second, that virtually J no increase in departmental effort J would be needed; and third, that , valuable overseas exchange could be earned. 1 One West German home in 10 i has an electric washing machine, - according to the Institute of Ger- j man Industry. Last year West 1 Germany produced 1.400,000 wash- < ■ ing machines.—Cologne (Reuter).