Press release 
 
Fast‐growing timber from Indonesia showcased at interzum 2017  –  
sustainable, lightweight and of high quality 
 
Bonn, May 22nd, 2017 – Indonesian fast‐growing timber is significantly lighter than 
local timber species, its cultivation helps preserve the natural forests and its import 
is zero risk with respect to the EUTR. And its use for construction, furniture and inte‐
rior works has been constantly increasing. This trend has been confirmed at interzum 
2017, the world's leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design, at 
which six Indonesian lightweight timber exporters have successfully presented their 
products. 
 
Important volumes of the lightweight species Balsa, Albasia and Jabon are being 
planted by Indonesian small‐scale farmers, therewith reforesting damaged areas. The 
big advantage: these lightweight timber species grow up to five times faster than 
spruce does in Europe – the tropical climate in Indonesia allows for constant growth. 
On the other hand, the European industry can take advantage of the outstanding char‐
acteristics of Indonesian lightweight timber. A closet made from these species has only 
half of the weight compared to one made from spruce; shelves are less vulnerable to 
deformation due to empty weight; and lightweight timber block boards weigh only 50 
percent of particle boards. 
The success of the Indonesian participation in interzum 2017 confirms the growing im‐
portance of low weight solutions in for construction, furniture and interior works. The 
Indonesian pavilion saw many visitors that wanted to learn more about the six export‐
ers which offered a wide range of products, from doors for interior and exterior use to 
boards and panels for use in vehicles, ships, for furniture and instruments. Their atten‐
tion had also been caught by the stand construction entirely made from lightweight 
timber, serving as an example for the multiple use of the material. 
The Indonesian exporters at interzum have up to 40 years’ experience in wood pro‐
cessing. Indonesia, which had issued legality certifications based on the “Sistem Verifi‐
kasi Legalitas Kayu” (SVLK) sine 2013, is also the first country to issue FLEGT licenses 
for all exports. The competent authorities in Indonesia confirm with these FLEGT li‐
censes the legality of the exported products – which means that importers of FLEGT li‐
censed products do not have to apply the due diligence required by the European Tim‐
ber Regulation (EUTR). 

    

Funded by Implemented by
  

The Indonesian participation in interzum has been initiated by the Import Promotion 
Desk (IPD. The main reason for supporting qualified exporters in accessing the German 
and European market is the high level sustainability of these tropical timber species. 
Frank Maul, Expert Sourcing & Purchase at IPD, states that “we are convinced that the 
preservation of tropical forests can only work if the still existing natural forests are be‐
ing managed in a sustainable manner; and on the other hand, damaged areas are be‐
ing re‐forested and thus can serve as a puffer zone.” The IPD brings together timber 
importers and Indonesian producers, closely coordinating with associations and initia‐
tives of the timber sector. 
 
About the Import Promotion Desk (IPD)
The IPD is an initiative for import promotion in Germany. It connects European importers with small and
medium-sized exporters from selected developing countries and emerging nations. The IPD's goal is sus-
tainable and well-structured import promotion of specific products from selected partner countries under
compliance with high quality, social, and environmental standards. The IPD consolidates the interests of
European importers with those of exporters in the emerging growth markets of the partner countries. Eu-
ropean importers are thus able to optimise their purchasing activities and increase the variety of products
they offer; in the partner countries, the private sector is strengthened. The IPD is currently active in Egypt,
Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Colombia, and Tunisia. The IPD focusses on four product
groups: fresh fruit and vegetables, cut flowers, natural ingredients for the food, pharmaceutical and cos-
metics sector as well as technical wood.
The IPD has been established and implemented by sequa gGmbH – the globally operating development
organisation of German industry. It collaborates closely with the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign
   
Trade and Services (BGA.). The IPD is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ).
For further information visit www.importpromotiondesk.de
 
 
For further information please contact: 
Import Promotion Desk (IPD)  Pressekontakt 
Frank Maul  Peter Rall 
Expert Sourcing + Purchase  Kohl PR & Partner 
Technical Wood (Peru, Indonesia)  Unternehmensberatung für  
Phone 030 590 099 569  Kommunikation GmbH 
E‐Mail: maul@importpromotiondesk.de   Phone: +49 (0) 30 226 679 21  
www.importpromotiondesk.de   E‐Mail: p.rall@kohl‐pr.de 
 
 

 
    

Funded by Implemented by