Myanmar: Transparency should be the key to boost the teak market

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ITTO/Fordaq
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The authorities in Myanmar were reminded by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) that if they don't clarify the flow of logs which go from the forests to the mills, the legality of the wood for export will always be doubted by the teak importers.

Myanmar has been striving to ensure forest conservation and the production of verifiably legal timber but still cannot create a supply chain reporting system that satisfies critics and meets international standards.

The EIA has made another call for stricter control and greater transparency in the timber sector so that Myanmar teak can once again take its place as the’ king’ of timber in international markets.

Local analysts are dismayed with the latest scathing report from the EIA saying this does not reflect the reality nor give due credit for the efforts made to implement the recommendations of the report: Myanmar Timber Legality Assurance System (MTLAS) Gap Analysis of April 2017.

The latest EIA report says the pristine forests of Myanmar are under real and urgent threat. The report also says European companies are still failing in their responsibilities to satisfy the due diligence requirements of the EUT R in respect of teak imports from Myanmar.

The EIA says that the actions of some government departments in Myanmar have made it all but impossible to access information that can prove teak has been legally harvested. This means that importers of Myanmar teak find it very difficult to comply with regulations aimed at eliminating illegal timber from the supply chain.

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