Furniture men upset at timber exports

Press, 24 June 1978, Page 21

Furniture men upset at timber exports

PA Wellington. Furniture manufacturers have been accused of adopting an unreasonable attitud? to the exporting of native timber. The director of the Forest Service’s utilisation development division (Mr T. A. Foley) said that domestic-market needs had to be satisfied before a permit was issued for the export of native timber. He was replying to assertions by the Furniture Manufacturers’ Federation that the export' of native timber was proving disadvantageous to the furniture makers and the consumer.

The federation called on the Forest Service to prevent further exports of native timber unless a further manufactured value was added.

It said that raw, sawn native timber was attracting export incentives which resulted in a scarcer product locally and increased competition whereby domestic furniture makers had to compete against New Zealand native timber being used by Australian manufacturers in the Australian market. The problem was compounded as the native-tim-ber exporter, by using exoort incentives. was able to offer the Australians a price about j per

cent lower than that offered in New Zealand. The New Zealat d consumer was subsidising the exports.

Although a relatively small user, the furniture industry needed tawa and rimu supplies to sustain a viable domestic and export industry. Mr Foley said he was surprised that furniture manufacturers had the audacity to “stick their noses out” on this question. The amount of indigenous timber exported was a very small proportion of the total production: less than 2 per cent. All exports were by permit and all applications to export native timber had to be justified. “The criteria used is first and foremost that local market needs must be satisfied first,” said Mr Foley. In the past much native timber had been wasted but that was no longer the case. The Forest Service now “leaned heavily” on producers to recover greater quantities of high quality timber from the log. It also ensured that high quality timber was not used for low-grade uses such as frames. As a result of these policies, advocated increases in stumpage (the value of

a tree before felling) had been adopted. The domestic market had been reluctant to bu\ short lengths suitable for furniture making, even though it sold at a price less than the long-length, high-quality timber. “The furniture manufac- j turers have been thor- I oughly spoilt,” said Mr j Foley. “They still want ; long length timber, which ; they then cut up. even | though it is possible to buy what they need. “This type of high quality, short timber repre- j sents a very big per- ' centage of what is being exported in default of purchase by local manufacturers. “Here is the opportunity ; for manufacturers in this country to buy timber cheaply and get into manufacturing and exporting themselves.” Tennis.—Hie Nastase, the tem peramental Romanian. has apologised for his behaviour j during his first round match in the Queen’s Club men's inter-j national tennis tournament in London. Bowtint). —The New Zealand ! Bowling Association has cleared I the way lor members of the j same family who bowl for differ-; ent centres to bowl together as I a family team at the national j championships. The association's . annual meeting decided that provided members are related brothers, sons. fathers, etc., i composite teams would be ; allowed from any dubs in the; i country.