KUCHING, Jan 22: Sarawak’s total export value of timber and timber products drops from RM3.9 billion in 2022 to RM3.1 billion in 2023.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tangah Ali Hasan, who is also Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development and Minister of International Trade, Industry and Investment said in 2023, the export value of logs was RM559 million or 18 per cent of the overall export value.
“Export of timber products was about RM2.6 billion. For Sarawak, Japan is still the largest market contributing about 53 per cent or RM1.7 billion export earnings in 2023,” said Awang Tengah whose text speech was read by Sarawak Deputy Minister for Urban Development and Natural Resources Datuk Len Talif Salleh during memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) and Malaysian Panel – Products Manufactures’ Association (MPMA) held at local hotel here today.
He added that Plywood remains as the main product produced with an export value of RM1.5 billion, contributing about 48 per cent of the total export earning.
On the same note, Awang Tengah urged timber players to transform their activities and operations towards production of high value-added products by utilising raw materials from planted forests.
He said in this regard, the Sarawak Government will continue to strengthen the downstream industry to include biomass, furniture, bamboo and engineered wood.
According to him, biomass products like wood pellet, biochar and charcoal briquette are highly demanded in global market due to being environmentally friendly.
“Sarawak has exported wood pellets to Japan, France and Korea at an export value of RM36 million,” he added. – DayakDaily
