Grading and Standardization in Major Timber Producing Countries in the South-East Asian Region

Abstract

Grading of tropical hardwood timber in the major timber producer-exporter countries in the region, notably Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand for purposes of export, has been in practice since well before the second World War. The rules and specifications for grading were evolved or formulated and revised from time to time, with the needs of the buyers playing a predominant part in the determination of the grades and their specifications. There was an abundance of high quality, large dimension timbers available from comparatively easily accessible lowland forests, and producers had little or no difficulty in supplying seemingly limitless quantities of timber of required standards. This is exemplified by the fact that exports of timber have been continually increasing at a rapid rate, with log exports accounting for about half the total of the exports.