Oct 25, 2013. /Lesprom Network/. Indonesia's Forestry Ministry and the National Standardisation Agency (BSN) have launced new national standards for 28 forest and wood products. It is anticipated that this move will improve the quality of domestic products and create greater export opportunities, ITTO reported.

The new standards cover wood chips and laminated veneer lumber as well as dammar gum, pine sap and honey. The new standards add to the already 137 existing SNI codes for timber and non-timber forest products.

BSN Chief, Bambang Prasetya, said that instead of imposing tariffs or other non-market weapons Indonesia will enhance product standards to create international market opportunities and to eliminate inferior imported products.

He said: “International organizations, such as World Trade Organization, only acknowledge standard setting as protecting consumers and domestic products, instead of tariffs or quotas. Indonesian standards are important for improving the competitiveness of our products.”

Forestry Ministry Secretary General Hadi Daryanto said that the new codes would apply to domestic and imported products. He said: “The standards are important in preventing low quality forest products from coming in to the country.”