US Environmentalists Revisit Legal Action Against NZ Wood

Trade Minister Lockwood Smith is disappointed to learn that US environmental groups have revisited a legal action that may have implications for the New Zealand Forest Industry.

In January 1999, the US District Court in San Francisco lifted an eighteen-month-old injunction against imports of New Zealand timber. The injunction limited the New Zealand Forest Industry's scope to expand exports to the US due to the plantiff's concerns that non-tropical woods from New Zealand, Chile and Siberia represent a threat to US biosecurity.

"We understand that the environmental groups have lodged a motion to reinstate the injunction until the court hears an appeal against the January 1999 decision", said Dr Smith.

"The application has been lodged today by the Oregan Natural Resources Council and Californians for Alternatives to Toxics (CATS), and the defendants have until Monday to respond.

"We're incredibly frustrated by the ongoing litigation over our wood exports to the US. We estimate that the last injunction cost New Zealand around $30-40 million dollars in lost sales.

"New Zealand will argue strongly against the injunction. Whilst we understand the environmentalists' concerns, we do not accept that New Zealand wood represents a threat to US biosecurity", said Dr Smith.