See Chee How, vice chairman of the Malaysian state of Sarawak, said his state is not interested in entering a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union because it can rely on demand from Asian importers, according to The Borneo Post.
With the state opting not to sign the VPA, its timber will not be legally allowed into markets of the EU's 28 member nations; however, the major importers of Sarawak timber are Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, none of which is bound by VPAs.
Peninsular Malaysia, on the other hand, is working to create a VPA with the EU's Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) program.
Read Next
