Venezuela - Will chip exports ever happen?
- There are over 500,000 hectares of caribbean pine plantations in eastern Venezuela, mostly owned by regional government corporation CVG Proforca.
- Numerous pulp and wood panel projects have been announced over the years, to utilize the fiber in these small, relatively slow growing trees, but nothing concrete has been accomplished to date.
- Stone Container and Venepal formed a JV in the early 1990s, (Veneston), and spent millions of dollars to develop a chip export facility. Stone has now walked away from the deal, which reportedly still needs several million dollars more to complete. The government has threatened to take away timber supply agreement if someone doesn’t assume control of the project. Potential volume was 330,000 BDMT. Nothing positive is likely to happen in the next year or so, especially with the new, more radical government.