A ban by China on imported South Carolina- and Virginia-grown logs is close to ending now that a small delegation of Chinese authorities has visited Virginia and the Carolinas, the S.C. Forestry Commission announced.
The commission organized the meeting, partnering with ports officials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and S.C. forest industry.
The South Carolina Ports Authority took the lead in funding the visit with help from the S.C. Forestry Association and other industry representatives who opened their facilities to illustrate the quality of South Carolina exports.
The net result of the visit is a six-month trial period for South Carolina and Virginia logs.
China halted log imports from the two states more than a year ago when shipments were found to contain the pinewood nematode, an insect that kills trees in some parts of the world, but is harmless in the United States.
“This is a step in the right direction.” said Henry E. Kodama, state forester in South Carolina. “Lifting the ban and offering a six-month pilot period of continued log imports offers an opportunity to correct any problems that were present and ensures that doors are open for future wood product exports from our state.”
From The Times & Democrat: https://thetandd.com/news/local/logjam-ending-after-s-c-visit-by-china-group/article_020aab56-a87a-11e1-b86f-0019bb2963f4.html