Timber iQ Dec 2017 - Jan 2018 // Issue:35 | Page 48

FEATURES
Some importers are concerned with delays and congestion at the country’s ports.
imported product is accessible locally, such as if it is locally
manufactured or locally grown.
“In a very short space of time, your product can become
uncompetitive in the market due to the lead times
involved. Depending on the product, this can be between
two and six months.” 
He says it's a tricky business. Other influencing factors
include the general supply and demand of products in
global markets. Importers, in general, buy from mills and
suppliers across the world who don't only supply to South
Africa; products will go into both first and third-world
countries. “Right now, the South African economy is not a
shining light in the global scheme of things,” he says.
“We've seen steady demand from the Middle East,
Philippines and China with a vast increase in demand from
India. Suppliers move their product to the markets that
provide them with the best returns. It's very much at the
mercy of supply and demand.”
“Source areas are well-known, as are the species. It's a
highly complicated industry that is well-established,” says
Fish. “There are several competitors who all obtain the
same product from the same sources. It becomes a
competition to see who can provide the best service at the
best price and quality.”
Demand for imported hardwood timber is declining in
South Africa, according to Fish. Major contributors are the
state of the economy and the introduction of wood
substitutes; PVC and aluminium have seriously knocked
the timber market. “The window market in South Africa is
now dominated by aluminium whereas 15 years ago it was
dominated by timber.”
BRANCHING OUT
Sean Lourens, a shareholder in NLA Imported Timbers, says
South Africa imports a lot of wood, primarily because the
46 DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 //
"It's a complicated industry
that is well-established."
only timbers that are commercially available are pine and
saligna. Fancier hardwood timbers like cherry, maple, oak,
walnut, ash, iroko, beech, kiaat, teak and mahogany are
imported because it is possible to make higher quality
products with these species.
“One of the bigger volume timbers imported into South
Africa is meranti, which is used predominantly in the
construction industry for joinery. Some species of timber
can be sourced from different countries, for example
mahogany comes from Brazil and West Africa. “It becomes
a question of price; you get better quality from Brazil, but
the price is higher. It depends on whether your customer is
price-conscious or quality-conscious.” 
Lourens says that many countries have become a lot
stricter when it comes to protecting their forests.
“Governments in various countries have banned logging
completely in certain areas to protect the environment.
NLA will only do business with suppliers that buy from
properly regulated areas.
“Most imported woods are not treated as such, although
we only buy kiln-dried timber as it is usually a better
quality and the kiln drying process kills most bugs and
wood borer. Air-dried timber poses greater risk as it
can deteriorate if very wet when placed in a shipping
container without adequate stickers to allow air flow,”
he says.
“Very few companies import logs into South Africa, they
prefer rough-sawn timber as there are no duties
applicable. Many value added products attract customs
duty,” he concludes.