Bold plan targets NZ$11.5b in value-added wood exportsFriday 5 Sep 2025
Our forest owners, contractors, transport operators, processors and exporters have built a world-class industry based on efficiency, productivity and sustainable resource management. But global markets are shifting and the next chapter in our sector’s growth will be written not just in the forests, but in the factories, workshops and export markets that transform our forestry resource into high-value wood products. A two-year action plan released by the Value-Added Wood Exports Growth Accelerator sets out a vision that is ambitious but achievable: to double value-added wood exports by 2034, lifting export earnings from $5.7 billion to $11.5 billion in just under a decade. The plan charts a clear course for achieving this target through coordinated industry action, practical investment and smarter export development. Forest owners have already done the hard work of growing the raw material. The challenge now is turning that resource into more diversified and higher-value products, sold into global markets where demand for sustainable timber is growing. The opportunity is enormous – but the window to act is limited. Raw log exports still account for a large share of forestry’s earnings and for many owners, they remain the most commercially viable option. That’s not a failing – it’s a function of global market conditions and local constraints in processing capacity and infrastructure. But the trees we’ll be harvesting in 2034 are already growing. If we want to reduce exposure to commodity market swings, keep more value onshore and strengthen regional economies, we need to ensure that there is infrastructure, investment and export systems in place now. The Accelerator’s two-year plan lays out a credible roadmap for getting there. It focuses on practical interventions to unlock investment in domestic manufacturing, expand export market access and remove barriers that have slowed progress in the past. Rather than calling for sweeping reform or untested ideas, the strategy supports firms already looking to scale, diversify and innovate and connects them with the right tools and partnerships to do so. What sets this plan apart from previous strategies is that it is industry led; developed by a sector working group, with support from Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, ensuring strong alignment between industry priorities and government support. It calls on businesses – large and small – to step forward and build capability, scale production, develop new products, enter new markets and modernise systems. More >> Source & image credit: NZFOA | ||
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