As featured in the Timber & Forestry E News
AUSTRALIAN certified timber producers trading with Japan will benefit from the appointment of a new international marketing manager in Tokyo.
The long-established Sustainable Green Ecosystem Council (SGEC), the national governing body for PEFC in Japan, has appointed Makiko Horio who will work to increase market share of forests endorsed by PEFC, the biggest global alliance of national forest certification systems.
In her new role, Ms Horio will visit PEFC brand users in Japan promoting PEFC certified forest fibre to a wide range of businesses.
She will also explore new ways of communicating PEFC’s information, research, and certification systems to the wider industry.
Ms Horio began promoting forest certification in 2008 while working for the Tokyo branch of a foreign bank before being appointed by PEFC Asia Promotions and SGEC, a PEFC endorsed member since 2003.
“I am fully committed to continue doing my best as a small part of SGEC and PEFC Japan, Makiko Horio said.
The new position is supported by Responsible Wood and co-funded by a number of stakeholders across the Australian forest products sector.
Japan is an all-important market for Australian forest products, with sustainably sourced wood fibre to Japan’s wood biomass market a rapidly-expanding source of renewable energy.
AFPA CEO Ross Hampton said an Australian forest products trade mission to Japan in 2019 had helped build a stronger relationship with Japan and helped expand the market for high quality Australian forest products.
“Our forest product exports to Japan make up about 14%, or about $510 million, of our total wood fibre exports and the industry wants to see this grow to include a wider variety of products,” Mr Hampton said.
“Our industry sees real benefit in building stronger ties with Japan,” he said.
