Brazil: ‘Ghost’ Timber Companies in Pará
The regional office of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA) in Para has identified over 150 €ghost' companies trading timber and other forest products. This number is quoted in the interim report of the so-called €ghostbusters€ operation, which tracks the forest product flow in the state.
The €ghost' companies identified by IBAMA are reported to have provided false management plans and forest control documents to support the purchase of and trade in illegal timber. The receipts presented to inspectors were from non-existent companies. In some cases, the plate numbers of vehicles reportedly used for the transport of forest products were those of regular passenger cars and motorcycles, not timber trucks.
Through the €ghost' companies, illegal timber could be disguised as that coming from approved logging areas with approved management plans. IBAMA is prosecuting the offenders.
The Promadeira Fair
The seventh Promadeira Fair will take place in August this year in Sinop, 500 km from Cuiaba. The region is considered the largest timber manufacturing cluster in the State.
This cluster of wood product industries apparently provides some 40.000 direct and 120,000 indirect jobs. The raw materials for the various industries come from around 2.6 million hectares of sustainably managed forest. There are plans to increase this to 6 million hectares. In addition to the traditional international business promotion activities of technical visits and product exhibition, the up coming Fair will feature innovations such as a display of a mini-forest with a demonstration of sustainable forest management techniques.
Native tree seedlings will be distributed and there will be a video presentation on "Standing Forest: the management is possible," produced by the Timber Industry Association of Northern Mato Grosso (Sindusmad) in partnership with the Center for Wood Producers and Exporters of Mato Grosso (CIPEM). This focuses on sustainable forest management practices.
Falling exports from Northern Mato Grosso
Exports from the Alta Floresta tropical timber cluster fell 39% in January 2010 compared with the same period last year according to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MIDIC). Exports fell from US$ 645,000 in January 2009 to US$595,700 in January this year.
The major product traded was tropical timber (US$568,400) but sales were down 38% compared to January 2009.
The main importers were Spain, (accounting for US$ 223,700, or 37.5% of the total export), followed by Canada (US$155,100), the United States (US$ 142,200), Belgium (US$ 47,300) and India which imported just US$27,300 worth of wood products from the region.
Para's exports recover
The economy of Para started to recover in January this year after eleven months. Now the economy of Para is ranked second amongst the Brazilian States generating a trade surplus of US$ 550 million.
Exports from Para's increased 13% in January 2010 compared to January 2009 from US$578 million to US$657 million. In contrast to the situation in 2009 when export declined sharply, there was a turnaround earlier this year.
Wood product exports increased 19%, which analysts say is significant given the deep recession in the sector last year.
While wood product exports from Para were just US$ 24 million in January 2009, in January this year they were almost US$ 29 million.
The €ghost' companies identified by IBAMA are reported to have provided false management plans and forest control documents to support the purchase of and trade in illegal timber. The receipts presented to inspectors were from non-existent companies. In some cases, the plate numbers of vehicles reportedly used for the transport of forest products were those of regular passenger cars and motorcycles, not timber trucks.
Through the €ghost' companies, illegal timber could be disguised as that coming from approved logging areas with approved management plans. IBAMA is prosecuting the offenders.
The Promadeira Fair
The seventh Promadeira Fair will take place in August this year in Sinop, 500 km from Cuiaba. The region is considered the largest timber manufacturing cluster in the State.
This cluster of wood product industries apparently provides some 40.000 direct and 120,000 indirect jobs. The raw materials for the various industries come from around 2.6 million hectares of sustainably managed forest. There are plans to increase this to 6 million hectares. In addition to the traditional international business promotion activities of technical visits and product exhibition, the up coming Fair will feature innovations such as a display of a mini-forest with a demonstration of sustainable forest management techniques.
Native tree seedlings will be distributed and there will be a video presentation on "Standing Forest: the management is possible," produced by the Timber Industry Association of Northern Mato Grosso (Sindusmad) in partnership with the Center for Wood Producers and Exporters of Mato Grosso (CIPEM). This focuses on sustainable forest management practices.
Falling exports from Northern Mato Grosso
Exports from the Alta Floresta tropical timber cluster fell 39% in January 2010 compared with the same period last year according to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MIDIC). Exports fell from US$ 645,000 in January 2009 to US$595,700 in January this year.
The major product traded was tropical timber (US$568,400) but sales were down 38% compared to January 2009.
The main importers were Spain, (accounting for US$ 223,700, or 37.5% of the total export), followed by Canada (US$155,100), the United States (US$ 142,200), Belgium (US$ 47,300) and India which imported just US$27,300 worth of wood products from the region.
Para's exports recover
The economy of Para started to recover in January this year after eleven months. Now the economy of Para is ranked second amongst the Brazilian States generating a trade surplus of US$ 550 million.
Exports from Para's increased 13% in January 2010 compared to January 2009 from US$578 million to US$657 million. In contrast to the situation in 2009 when export declined sharply, there was a turnaround earlier this year.
Wood product exports increased 19%, which analysts say is significant given the deep recession in the sector last year.
While wood product exports from Para were just US$ 24 million in January 2009, in January this year they were almost US$ 29 million.
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