Tropical Timber Market Report, Volume 18 Number 3, 1st – 15th February 2014 The

Top SE Asian furniture fair to open in March

The Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) will be

held in Kuala Lumpur 4 to 8 March 2014. Since its

inception in 1995 MIFF has grown to become one of

Southeast Asia‟s top furniture fairs and a global „top ten‟

event.

Every March, furniture manufacturers, buyers,

international chain stores, hoteliers, architects and interior

decorators visit MIFF to conclude business take in the

latest trends and network.

Last year, business concluded as a result of MIFF totalled

US$854 million. This year the organisers expect over 500

furniture manufacturers and exporters to participate and

estimate that about 70% of participants will be Malaysian

companies, the balance coming from China, Taiwan P.o.C,

Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, USA,

UK, India, Spain and Vietnam.

On everyone‟s mind at the moment is what will be the

impact of the increasing production costs being faced by

Chinese companies and asking if this will undermine the

competitiveness of Chinese made furniture.

Government urged to let newsprint anti-dumping duty

expire

The Malaysian Star newspaper has reported that the

Malaysian Newsprint Publishers Association (MNPA) is

appealing to the government not to extend the antidumping

duties on imports of newsprint paper.

A statement from MNPA urged the government to allow

the anti-dumping duties to expire as scheduled saying

“The anti-dumping duties have been imposed for the last

10 years on imports of newsprint in rolls from Canada,

Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines and the United

States. Newsprint is a major cost component for the

newspaper business.”

The Association said that the necessary mechanisms to

ensure survival of Malaysian newsprint manufacturers are

already in place so there is no need to extend the antidumping

duties. Currently, the Government provides an

incentive in the form of an import duty waiver on

newsprint if MNPA members procure 50% of their

newsprint locally.

MNPA said the livelihood of the Malaysian newspaper

sector as a whole depends on the survival of the

newspaper industry and its ability to control cost.

MIS_1-15_Feb_2014-1.pdf