20 FOCUS @ AGROBiz | November-December. 2025
20 FOCUS @ AGROBiz | November-December. 2025
Reclaiming timber
• MWE 2025 recorded RM194.5 million in confirmed sales, its strongest performance since the expo began in 2019.
• Over 1,900 trade visitors and exhibitors from 19 countries signalled rising global interest in Malaysian timber.
• MWE 2025 showed that wood-based products remain a strategic commodity, backed by active buyers, solid sales, and growing interest in sustainable materials.
TIMBER OUTLOOK: Record sales, renewed buyer interest, and stronger supply-chain partnerships signalled rising confidence in
Malaysia ' s wood-based industries.
BY ADELINE ANTHONY ALPHONSO
CONVERSATIONS in Malaysia ' s commodity space often centre on palm oil, rubber, and food security. Meanwhile, the timber industry, despite its long-standing contribution to export earnings, tends to sit quietly in the background.
Yet the Malaysian Wood Expo( MWE), in just six years since its debut in 2019, reminds the industry that timber still holds weight. Global demand for sustainable wood products remains strong and shows no signs of slowing down.
DEMAND DRIVES DEALS
The 2025 edition, held on Nov 10-11 at MITEC, drew more than 1,900 trade visitors and 127 exhibitors from 19 countries. Although MWE is relatively young compared to other commodity expos, it has quickly become one of the most active meeting points for timber manufacturers, buyers, raw material suppliers and policy experts.
Exhibitors from China, Austria, Germany, Uruguay and Thailand showcased everything from engineered wood products to raw materials, machinery, and new processing technologies— signalling a broader diversification of the global timber ecosystem.
By the end of the event, MWE had recorded RM194.5 million in confirmed sales, surpassing the figures achieved in both 2023 and 2019. For an industry often overshadowed by flashier commodity headlines, this was a strong signal of confidence: Malaysian wood products continue to command serious attention in competitive markets.
A major portion of these results came from the Incoming Buying Mission( IBM), organised with MATRADE. The mission brought 78 buyers from 27 countries— including the
“ The real turning point this year was not the trade numbers. It was the expo ' s shift in mindset."
United States, Türkiye, Mexico, Sri Lanka, the UAE and India— for over 350 targeted meetings with Malaysian exporters.
These engagements generated RM177.6 million in export deals, underscoring buyers ' continued interest in Malaysia ' s wood-based offerings, particularly in categories linked to furniture manufacturing, construction, and value-added processing.
On the upstream side, industry players used MWE to strengthen their raw material pipelines. The Inbound Overseas Suppliers Programme( IOSP) connected 33 Malaysian manufacturers with suppliers from 10 major producing countries, including Sweden, Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, and New Zealand.
The programme resulted in RM16.9 million in raw material orders, more than doubling the previous edition ' s achievements. For manufacturers preparing for regulatory shifts such as the EU Deforestation Regulation( EUDR), secure and compliant sourcing has become a strategic priority.
INDUSTRY INTEREST: Attendees explore the busy show floor, reflecting strong interest in Malaysia ' s timber offerings
SUSTAINABILITY TAKES HOLD
Yet the real turning point this year was not the trade numbers. It was the expo ' s shift in mindset.
MWE 2025 introduced an international sustainability and regulatory conference— a clear acknowledgement that the future of timber will be shaped not just by sales, but by credibility, traceability and transparency.
More than 270 participants attended the sessions, engaging with policy experts and international buyers on topics such as ESG adoption, supply chain resilience, data requirements for EUDR compliance, and global trade adjustments.
These discussions reflected a wider concern: access to premium markets may soon depend more on a company ' s ability to document its footprint than on its manufacturing capacity. For many Malaysian exporters, this means rethinking old systems, improving traceability tools, and investing in new forms of due diligence.
Many attendees noted that Malaysia ' s long-established forest management practices, combined with the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme( MTCS), provide a strong foundation for EUDR-aligned compliance.
Others pointed out that timber remains one of the world ' s most in-demand sustainable materials, especially for green construction, furniture, and low-carbon design.
For an industry often overshadowed by larger commodity narratives, MWE 2025 served as a reminder: timber remains a strategic export for Malaysia, supporting thousands of downstream manufacturers and acting as a key value-added sector.
As global demand shifts towards sustainable, low-carbon materials, wood-based products may be entering a renaissance— and Malaysia is positioning itself early.
- @ AGROBiz