PETALING JAYA: Timber-related players are generally upbeat about the industry’s prospects on the back of a more favourable market environment, thanks to Japan – a key customer for many Malaysian companies – experiencing an economic upturn.
Analysts said Japan was a major consumer of tropical plywood used mainly in its housing and construction sector. It was also a major importer of raw logs and sawn products. In 2004, the country accounted for almost 40% of the consumption of tropical plywood globally.