TPPA may open doors for processed wood products

The forest and wood processing industries have welcomed the removal of tariffs on wood products across the 12 countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“We have yet to see the detail, but we understand that all tariffs on logs and wood products will be reduced to zero. That represents a $ 9 million saving,” says Wood Council chair Bill McCallum.

“While this is not a huge sum in the context of a trade worth $1.5 billion, we anticipate there will be bigger prizes arising from the TPP Agreement. The focus of the TPPA has been on tariff reduction and elimination, but with wood products we suspect that non-tariff barriers are a much greater impediment to trade. Technical barriers that have no scientific justification can prevent the import or use of imported wood products. Subsidies enjoyed by domestic wood processors can also make it impossible for imports to compete fairly.

“The TPP creates a special relationship among the

s, • Lightweight (60% of weight of steel) • Highest Strength to Weight Ratio • Far greater Corrosion Resistance than Stainless Steel – means

improved life-cycle costings • Biocompatible • 40-60% greater strength retention than steels at elevated

temperatures (400degC) • Low thermal and electric conductivity (25%-33% of steel) • Non-Ferrous and non-magnetic • Near-net shape processing means far less wasted material. • Cost effective process at high volume quantities • Special custom-made alloys for a specific special purpose participating countries and we are hopeful it will become a permanent forum where other impediments to free trade, such as non-tariff barriers can be overcome.”

The Wood Council recently initiated a research project to get a better understanding of these barriers in each potential market.

Another positive the Council draws from the TPPA is the potential it creates for exporters of NZ processed wood products to compete in markets where they have until now been excluded by tariffs that escalate rapidly as value is added to a raw material.

“These lost opportunities are not included in the $ 9 million saving, because current tariffs make exports unprofitable,” says McCallum.

“The Wood Council appreciates the hard work of NZ Government negotiators at the TPP talks. Once the agreement is ratified and becomes law there will be immediate small benefits for the forest and wood processing sector. Longer-term we hope to see much bigger benefits.”