China export ban forces timber industry to look to local market to save jobs
FriFriday 11
DecDecember 2020 at 7:30pm
About 100 direct Tasmanian jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs could be impacted by the ban.
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The timber industry is hoping new opportunities in Australian manufacturing might save jobs amid ongoing trade troubles with China.
Key points:
Industry representatives are asking governments for help establishing downstream processing and manufacturing in local markets
A trade advisor is concerned bad press in China could degrade the reputation of Australian produce
China has blocked timber imports from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland in recent months, citing biosecurity concerns.
CLT and GLT timbers used in construction. Photo: Timberlink.
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and the South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA) has welcomed timber manufacturing business Timberlink’s announcement that it will construct its new $59 million state-of-the-art Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing facility at Tarpeena in South Australia – right next door to Timberlink’s existing sawmill site.
CLT and GLT are innovative engineered wood products focused on replacing concrete and steel in the construction of new multi-storey buildings. Timber products store carbon, have low embodied energy in their manufacture, and are truly the ultimate renewable.