China sees imports of illegally felled wood soar

23/03/2006

Consumer demand in Europe Japan and the US for reasonably priced everyday furniture and other Chinese wood products is feeding a growing appetite in China for imports of illegally felled timber according to a new report.

The report being released today is likely to increase trade antipathy against Chinese furniture manufacturers from Europe and the US.

Brussels is considering German and Italian demands to mount an anti-dumping case against cheap furniture imports from China and Washington imposed anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese manufacturers in 2004.

According to the report by US-based Forest Trends the Indonesia-based Centre for International Forestry Re-search and the Beijing-based Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy China has become the world’s biggest wood workshop in less than a decade.