A Review of Traceability Systems in the Timber Industry

Abstract

The Australian timber industry generated $23.1b in revenue in 2019–2020, contributing $7.2b to Australia’s gross domestic product. Total Australian timber export in 2019–2020 was estimated at over $3b, with log exports of approximately $650 m. Major export destinations are China, Japan, and New Zealand, with China importing over $1.6b of Australian timber products. An effective two-way tracing system will help secure product export to these major trading partners by eliminating product rejections due to a lack of certification, treatment, and pest management traceability, and enhancing the certification of product performance and compliance of imported structural and non-structural products. An opportunity exists to promote the development of proposed tracing systems to major import trading partners as a means of proving product integrity and maintaining market share as Australia continues to eliminate practices that facilitate illegal logging processes. This review aims to highlight the need for a national product tracing system in place for the Australian timber industry. This review aims to present information about current and potential future technologies that the timber industry can use across the supply chain to trace and monitor product quality and origin.