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Implications for the New Zealand Wood Products Sector of Trade Distortions due to Illegal Logging

A Report prepared for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
By James Turner, Andres Katz and Joseph Buongiorno, Scion

Published August 2007

Illegal logging and associated trade is a significant issue for New Zealand, particularly given its potential, both here and elsewhere, to adversely affect sustainable forestry practices, forest products trade, and other economic, environmental and social values.

This report details the production, trade and price effects of international trade distortions from illegal logging. The study considers the effect of illegal logging on both the price and the competitiveness of New Zealand wood products in domestic and foreign markets. Two complementary economic models, the Global Forest Model 9GFPM) and Radiata Pine Market Model (RPMM) are used to view the New Zealand forest sector in its full international context.

This and previous studies, have shown that the elimination of illegal logging leads to significant increases in the price and production of wood products in almost all countries without suspicious harvests. An economic incentive, therefore, exists for legitimate producers in New Zealand, and other countries, to support a reduction in illegal logging.

You can download the report as a PDF, either as a full document [707KB] or by section, or alternatively an Executive Summary.

• Executive Summary and Contents [133KB]
• 1. Introduction [124KB]
• 2. Nature of Illegal Logging and Trade [132KB]
• 3. Base Scenario with Illegal Logging [103KB]
• 4. Impact of Illegal Logging - without Russian Log Export Tax [251KB]
• 5. Implications of the Russian Log Export Tax [100KB]
• 6. Base Scenario - with Illegal Logging and Russian Log Export Tax [103KB]
• 7. Impact of Illegal Logging - with Russian Log Export Tax [258KB]
• 8. Discussion and Conclusion [81KB]
• 9. Acknowledgements and Appendices [151KB]

Contact for Enquiries

Senior Policy Analyst
International Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND

Phone: +64 4 894 0650
Fax: +64 4 894 0742

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