{"id":33042,"date":"2026-03-03T22:02:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=33042"},"modified":"2026-03-03T22:24:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T12:24:22","slug":"malaysia-warns-cites-push-on-tropical-timber-is-self-interest-not-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/malaysia-warns-cites-push-on-tropical-timber-is-self-interest-not-science\/","title":{"rendered":"Malaysia Warns CITES Push on Tropical Timber is Self-Interest, Not Science"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Malaysia has warned that any attempts to list species like Genus Shorea \u2014 one of the world&#8217;s traded tropical hardwoods \u2014 and the Dipterocarpus genus or Apitong, on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) need to be backed by credible scientific evidence, and not by politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tan Peng Juan, president of the Malaysian Timber Association, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailyexpress.com.my\/news\/276864\/concern-on-listing-timber-species\/\">told the Daily Express Malaysia <\/a>that he had serious concerns over attempts by the European Union and the United States to propose the inclusion of tropical timbers under Appendix II of CITES at the 20th Conference of the Parties (CoP20). Those proposals were ultimately not tabled, but he said it has sent the Malaysian industry scrambling to prepare for what many expect will be a second attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cDespite the intended proposal not being included in the conference,\u201d Tan said, they \u201cshould ensure that all relevant data is readily available to address any future potential proposals from participating parties.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Shorea species, traded as <em>meranti<\/em>, <em>seraya <\/em>and <em>balau<\/em>, underpin Malaysia&#8217;s tropical timber value chain and are processed into sawn wood, veneer sheets, panels and plywood. And whilst an Appendix II listing would not ban the trade outright, it would impose new permit requirements, documentation and compliance costs, enough to dramatically slow the flow of Shorea-based products into markets at a time when the industry is already being squeezed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The EU tried to list Shorea under CITES at CoP20. It failed. Malaysia says the real motive isn&#39;t conservation \u2014 it&#39;s protectionism. Now the industry is bracing for round two.<br><br>Via @DailyExpressMY \u2192 For more: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6k9aHLQ6uZ\">https:\/\/t.co\/6k9aHLQ6uZ<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CITES?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#CITES<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TropicalTimber?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#TropicalTimber<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Shorea?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Shorea<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/D36PYlZBwo\">pic.twitter.com\/D36PYlZBwo<\/a><\/p>&mdash; WoodCentralAu (@WoodCentralAU1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WoodCentralAU1\/status\/2028803341858598950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 3, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>MTA President Tan Peng Juan says the EU and US push to list tropical timbers under CITES wasn&#8217;t tabled at CoP20 \u2014 but Malaysia&#8217;s industry is already preparing for a second attempt.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In a letter to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad last year \u2014 written by then-MTA president George Yap \u00a0\u2014 the association warned that \u201cCITES regulations must also consider socio-economic impacts\u201d and pledged to assist the government in preparing \u201ctechnical and socio-economic counterarguments\u201d while rallying support from regional bodies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That letter also pointed out that \u201cdeforestation in Malaysia is driven by multiple factors, including urban development and population growth, rather than timber production alone,\u201d describing the EU and US approach as disproportionate and urging Malaysia to present \u201ca compelling case against the broad-brush proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It comes as <a href=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/tariffs-taxes-and-cites-could-squeeze-malaysias-timber-trade\/\">Wood Central reported last year<\/a> that Malaysia&#8217;s timber sector was already being hit from three sides \u2014 a domestic Sales and Service Tax (SST) that has pushed operational costs up by an estimated 8\u201312%, Trum&#8217;s tariffs dampening export volumes, and the since delayed (and water downed) EUDR resulting in a compliance quagmire for traders into global markets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Malaysia is warning the EU and US that their push to list tropical timber under CITES is protectionism dressed as conservation. And if it goes through, Australian builders will feel it most! For more: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XQsGPwtCWt\">https:\/\/t.co\/XQsGPwtCWt<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/cites?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#cites<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/malaysia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#malaysia<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/woodcentral?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#woodcentral<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PqY0YXxeS7\">pic.twitter.com\/PqY0YXxeS7<\/a><\/p>&mdash; WoodCentralAu (@WoodCentralAU1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WoodCentralAU1\/status\/2028808433059991986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 3, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time, Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Datuk Chan Foong Hin, told more than 400 attendees at a Timber Exporters\u2019 Association of Malaysia (TEAM) event: \u201cAlthough export products aren\u2019t directly taxed, rising production costs are starting to erode Malaysia\u2019s long-standing export strength.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The CITES proposal adds an entirely new layer.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>Wood Central understands that the push to list Shorea is not driven solely by conservation. <a href=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/new-cites-ruling-could-end-us-militarys-trade-in-tropical-timber\/\">In March last year<\/a>, the US-based Hardwood Federation wrote to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lobbying for both Shorea and Apitong to be added to the CITES list \u2014 arguing that \u201cprotecting <em>Apitong <\/em>is crucial for environmental conservation and maintaining international trade sustainability.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the real aim, according to the Malaysians, was to promote American <em>Red oak <\/em>as a potential replacement for Southeast Asian imports in a variety of local industries, including the US military supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wong Kar Wai, treasurer of TEAM, was direct about it at the Export Furniture Exhibition 2025. \u201cKeruing is a special type of timber primarily used for floorboards, with the US being its main market. A major buyer is the US military, which uses Keruing for the flooring of trucks and tanks due to its durability and strength,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/thesun.my\/business-news\/malaysia-s-timber-industry-faces-threats-on-two-fronts-us-tariffs-and-cites-JK13807097\">Wong told SunBiz<\/a>. \u201cHowever, the US is now looking to rely more on its local timber, particularly Red oak.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs a result, there are discussions about placing Keruing under CITES, which could further restrict its trade and impact exporters, particularly from Malaysia,\u201d he said \u2014 adding that \u201cdespite being sustainably harvested and certified, Shorea and Apitong face potential trade restrictions under the guise of conservation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"6pUCZPUPgsY\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why the US Government is Now Blast Testing Mass Timber!\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6pUCZPUPgsY?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>In 2024, Wood Central revealed that the United States military is looking to replace Southeast Asian imports with local species like Red oak, which is five times stronger than Keruing and is ideally suited for trucks and tank flooring.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/new-cites-ruling-could-end-us-militarys-trade-in-tropical-timber\/\">Last year,<\/a> Wood Central reported that the US Department of Defence had already developed a Red oak-based trailer decking prototype to replace <em>Keruing<\/em>, whilst the National Defence Authorisation Act had already classified Apitong as endangered and called for a transition to domestically sourced alternatives. \u201cThe timber sector now faces two major threats \u2014 tariffs and the potential CITES listing \u2014 which could severely impact trade,\u201d Wong said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>To read more about the impact of tariffs, taxes and CITES on Malaysia\u2019s timber trade, <a href=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/tariffs-taxes-and-cites-could-squeeze-malaysias-timber-trade\/\">click here for Wood Central\u2019s special feature<\/a><\/em>. For more on how the CITES ruling could drive up timber prices for Australian consumers, <a href=\"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/new-cites-ruling-set-to-drive-up-costs-for-aussie-timber-products\/\">click here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Malaysia has warned that any attempts to list species like Genus Shorea \u2014 one of the world&#8217;s traded tropical hardwoods \u2014 and the Dipterocarpus genus or Apitong, on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) need to be backed by credible scientific evidence, and not by politics. Tan [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"default","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[51,37,35,33,32,46,45,44,31],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[70],"class_list":{"0":"post-33042","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-americas","8":"category-building-and-construction","9":"category-case-studies","10":"category-editors-picks","11":"category-global-news","12":"category-industry","13":"category-sustainability","14":"category-sustainable-forest-management","15":"category-top-stories"},"authors":[{"term_id":70,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jason","display_name":"Jason Ross","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg","url2x":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33042"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33055,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33042\/revisions\/33055"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33042"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=33042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}