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ForestX Comment





The Government's 'Log Traders' Bill has stirred up the inevitable adversarial position taking in the sector, without providing any real leadership. The issue remains as to how this vital sector stabilises and progresses given strong Chinese market influence. The log market is heavily subsidised by the Chinese Government's policies and monetary conditions. We are too small to take our own stand in a Donald Trump fashion, we need to play within the rules being set by the Chinese. Only by New Zealanders, including government, collaborating with intelligence and innovation will we come out ahead. Surely a ‘Forestry Development Conference’ would be a sensible next step.