M'SIA, THAILAND TO JOINTLY PROMOTE RUBBERWOOD TRADE

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Thailand will jointly promote
trade in rubberwood products by strengthening and facilitating the cross border
process, said Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Hamzah
Zainuddin.

The cooperation is expected to provide a conducive platform for both the
countries to network and share information on rubberwood trading regionally and
in the international market, he said, adding that the development was another
milestone in economic relations between the two.

He said this to reporters after witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding here today by the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC), Malaysian Timber
Industry Board (MTIB) and the Malaysian Furniture Promotion Council (MFPC) with
the Thai Parawood Association and the Wood Processing Industry Club of the
Federation of Thai Industries.

The MoU was initiated after both parties had a discussion in January this year
this year to jointly promote rubberwood trade.

Subsequently, Malaysia and Thailand also established the Malaysia-Thailand
Parawood Committee (MTPC).

The first official meeting of MTPC will be held this afternoon where the
chairman and committee members will be elected.

The chairman and secretariat holding would be rotated between the two parties.

Malaysia has a total rubber plantation of 1.02 million hectares while Thailand
has 2.6 million hectares.

Hamzah said trade between Malaysia and Thailand amounted to RM56.2 billion last
year, with Malaysia recording an export of RM29.8 billion to Thailand against an
import of RM26.3 billion.

Amongst the diverse goods traded, timber and timber products represented an
important component with their exports totaling no less than half-a-billion
ringgit worth.

Timber exports to Thailand amounted to RM522.8 million with the
main products being sawntimber, plywood, furniture and particleboard.
--BERNAMA