17 March 2012, Nationmultimedia news - Thailand's hevea-wood industry is trying to resolve export obstacles arising from the European Union's timber regulation that will come into effect next March by asking Malaysia, the world's largest exporter of the wood of the rubber tree, to join in negotiations with the EU.

Sutin Phonchaisuree, president of the Thai Parawood Association, said the new Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade regulation, or EU-FLEGT (2013), would prohibit the placement of illegally harvested timber and products derived from such timber in the EU market.

He said Thai hevea wood, also known as rubberwood or parawood, and its products were supported by the government. As a result, they should be exempted from the regulation.

The TPA joined the fourth meeting of the Malaysia-Thailand Hevea Wood Committee on Thursday.

Antonio Berenguer, head of the trade and economic section of the EU Delegation in Thailand, said at a workshop titled "Preparing FLEGT VPA Negotiations in Thailand: Understanding Timber Flows and Stakeholder Mapping" yesterday that Thailand was an important manufacturing hub for wood products in the region. He added that in 2010, Thai exports to the EU of timber and timber products covered by the Timber Regulation totalled around ?171 million Euros (Bt7.2 billion).