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Trade Of RaminRamin (Gonystylus spp.) is a popular, creamy yellow light hardwood. It is distributed widely in peat swamp forests on low undulating land and hills in Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, Ramin is dispersed in several state but most abundantly in the state of Sarawak. This includes several Totally Protected Area such as the National Parks of Maludam, Lambir and Loagan Bunut. In the Maludam National Park, for example, the density of mature Ramin trees is estimated to be around 0.5% trees/ha. As 80% of this 43,000ha Park is covered by peat swamps, it works out to 34,000ha of Ramin habitat or approximately 17,000 adult trees in the Maludam National Park alone. Both the Loagan Bunut and Lambir National Parks have more or less the same tree density. As these areas are totally-protected, there is clear evidence that species of Ramin are not under threat in Malaysia. There is an ongoing project entitled "Sustainable Management of Peat Swamp forest of Sarawak with Special Reference to Ramin". This project is an ecology project which will improve the conservation status of Ramin in Malaysia. In 2001, subsequent to the implementation of an Indonesian export ban on Ramin (Gonystylus spp.) on 12 April 2001, Indonesia made a request to have Ramin listed on Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of wild fauna and flora. In the CITES Notification to the Parties (No. 2001/053) dated 10 August 2001 on international trade in Ramin, the CITES Secretariat informed member countries that Indonesia had requested that Ramin be included in Appendix III. Appendix III of CITES lists plants/animals subject to regulation within the territory of a CITES party for which the cooperation of other parties is needed. Indonesia set a zero quota for trade in Ramin but allowed two exemptions to this general export ban. The Indonesian Management Authority will issue export permits only for timber and products that have been proven to originate from PT. Diamond Raya Timber and its associated processing company PT. Uniseraya, which have been granted a certificate of Sustainable Forest Management. For this reason the Indonesian export ban is not applicable to them. Therefore, imports of Ramin from Indonesia are only authorized by the Indonesian Management Authority if it is proven that the Ramin originates from PT. Diamond Raya Timber and PT. Uniseraya. Consignments of Ramin Large Scantlings & Squares (LSS) and sawntimber that are imported from Indonesia without the relevant CITES Export Permits will be confiscated. In terms of international trade in Ramin, especially for other Range states like Malaysia, the species has not been totally banned, but has to be regulated under CITES. Ramin is still able to be traded but shall require documents from the countries concerned. All exports and imports of Ramin will require CITES certificates. Import of any specimen of a species listed on Appendix III shall require a certificate of origin from the state of export (i.e. Ramin-producing countries other than Indonesia). If the Ramin is from Indonesia, i.e. the state of export which has included the species on Appendix III, an export permit is required. In the case of re-export, a certificate of re-export is required from the Management Authority of the state of re-export. For trade of Ramin from Malaysia, exporters can apply for the CITES Certificates of Origin for the purpose of export from the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) for Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and the Sarawak Forestry Department for the state of Sarawak. Original copies of CITES Certificates for exports issued by the Management Authorities have to be presented to the Royal Customs & Excise Authorities when applying for export approval. For re-exports of consignments of Ramin, exporters have to present photostated copies of CITES Certificates/Permits from the country of origin (Indonesia) or re-exporting country (e.g. Singapore) when applying for CITES Certificates/Re-export Permits. Malaysia has put up a partial reservation to the Convention for Ramin parts & derivatives. For exports of Ramin parts & derivatives [other than Large Squares and Scantlings (LSS) and sawntimber], the competent authority can therefore issue the Country of Origin Certificates if they are required by exporters and their buyers. Malaysia as an established producer and exporter of Ramin timber and its finished products has taken steps to ensure that the trade that we have arduously built up over the years is not jeopardized. She has therefore imposed a ban on Indonesian log imports from 25 June 2002. To further strengthen enforcement efforts in implementing the ban on round logs, Malaysia has also banned the importation of squared logs i.e. timber measuring more than 60 square inches in size which are known as Large Scantlings and Squares (LSS), from Indonesia effective from 1 June 2003. Efforts have been taken up by the authorities, in particular the Royal Malaysian Customs Department to tighten the enforcement ban. List Of CITES Management Authorities in Malaysia. (Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) |
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