KUCHING – Sarawak’s timber industry has increased exports by 4.5% to RM3.05 billion in the third quarter of 2022 (Q3 2022) from RM2.92 billion in Q3 2021.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said Japan remained the biggest importer of Sarawak timber, accounting for 62% or RM1.88 billion of its total export value during the quarter.
“Other major importers are India (RM357 million), the Middle East (RM134 million), China (RM131 million), and Taiwan (RM117 million).
“In terms of products, plywood’s export value had increased by 2.5% year-on-year to RM1.67 billion in Q3 2022 from RM1.63 billion previously,” he said during the winding-up session of the Sarawak assembly on the state’s 2023 budget.
Meanwhile, Awang Tengah, who is also Sarawak’s natural resources and urban development minister II, said the state government remains committed to boosting the timber export value by encouraging the production of more added-value products such as furniture and intensifying research and development (R&D) efforts.
He added that through the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030, the Sarawak government is committed to increasing the export value of timber products to RM8 billion a year by 2030.
“This export target focuses on the production of high value-added products such as furniture, engineered wood products, glulam (glued laminated wood), and bamboo-based products, as well as intensifying R&D efforts,” he said. – Bernama, December 1, 2022
