Sarawak Timber Association (STA)
Sarawak, the largest State in Malaysia forms part of East Malaysia on the island of Borneo with a landmass covering 12.4 million hectares. Sarawak is blessed with different types of forests such as Mixed Dipterocarp Forest, Peat Swamp Forest, Mangrove Forest and others such as Kerangas Forest, Montane Forest and Limestone Forest.
Mixed Dipterocarp Forest is the most widespread and arguably the most complex of forest types. The bulk of trees species in this forest type belongs to the Dipterocarp family such as Meranti, Selangan Batu, Kapur, Keruing and Mersawa; and is the source of valuable timbers of excellent timber properties.
For decades, the timber industry has played a pivotal role in the development and economic growth of Sarawak as the tropical hardwood is generally preferred for their durability and strength. Sarawak exports sawn timber, plywood, veneer, mouldings, dowels, particleboard, laminated board/flooring, etc. All timber products exported meet the requirements of the Sarawak Timber Legality Assurance System. Among these timber products, plywood constituted the largest amount of exports in Sarawak with 2,641,487 cubic meters for the year 2012. Around 81% of the total plywood was exported to trading countries like Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Yemen.
Sarawak plywood is popular due to its evenness of layers, high uniform strength across the grain which is resistant to warping, cracking and twisting, making it ideal for all use. It is manufactured from high quality matured tropical timber species into a variety of plywood for use in different environment. The natural characteristics of tropical timbers such as grain, colour and texture make it attractive and worth to buy.
Major types of plywood produced by Sarawak are:
- General Panel / Ordinary Panel (GP/OP)
- Structural Panel (SP)
- Concrete Panel (CP)
- Coated Plywood (UCP), and
- Floor Base (FB)
The sizes of these panels are in 2' x 6', 3' x 6' or 4' x 8'.
Plywood manufactured in Sarawak are able to meet international standards such as Australian Standard, British Standard (BS), Japan Agricultural Standard (JAS), International Hardwood Products Association (IHPA), Japan Plywood Inspection Corporation (JPIC), California Air Resources Board (CARB), and Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS).
For enquiries, please contact:
SARAWAK TIMBER ASSOCIATION (STA) 11 Floor, Wisma STA 26, Jalan Datuk Abang Abdul Rahim, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. Tel: ++ (60 82) 332 222 Fax: ++ (60 82) 487 888/ 999 E-mail: sta@sta.org.my Website: www.sta.org.my