PNG Moves to End Raw Log Exports by 2025, Prime Minister Marape Says
Papua New Guinea is standing firm on its promise to end the export of round logs by 2025, with Prime Minister James Marape declaring the forestry sector must now focus on value creation rather than raw extraction.
Fresh from the COP30 Climate Conference in Brazil, Mr. Marape told reporters that the government’s priority is to process timber locally — turning logs into jobs, and forests into a foundation for sustainable growth.
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| PNG Moves to End Raw Log Exports by 2025, Prime Minister Marape Says [Photo supplied] |
“We’re not backing down from this commitment,” the Prime Minister said. “Our forests have been harvested long enough. It’s time we process timber here at home to create more employment and preserve our environment.”
To drive this policy, the government has created PNG Diwai Limited, a new state agency empowered to take up to 30 percent of logs harvested in the country. Its role will be to ensure timber is retained for domestic processing or sold responsibly under the Forestry Act.
Mr. Marape stressed that the decision is not anti-investment but pro-sustainability, ensuring logging practices protect the environment while delivering fair benefits to landowners and citizens.
He linked the policy to PNG’s commitments at COP30, where the nation advocated to preserve 70 percent of its forests and push for a global funding mechanism for forest conservation.
“A tree is life,” he said. “If we cannot stop using fossil fuels, then at least we must conserve and plant more trees.”
Mr. Marape also announced plans for a National Forestry Forum before year’s end to bring together the government, industry, and landowners to discuss implementation of the downstream processing roadmap.
“After 2025, no more Round Log Export Licenses will be issued,” he reaffirmed. “PNG will lead as a rainforest nation that values both its trees and its people.”
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