Wedoany.com Report-Dec.5, New Zealand's wood processing sector has been named one of three priority investment areas by the government's new international investment attraction agency, InvestNZ. Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay announced the selection this week during the official launch of InvestNZ's scope-setting programme, which released three sector-specific prospectuses.

Mark Ross, Chief Executive of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of New Zealand (WPMA), welcomed the recognition, noting that the industry directly employs more than 30,000 people, largely in regional areas, and generates nearly NZ$5 billion in annual sales across domestic and export markets.

"The prospectus for wood processing being selected as one of the three focus areas for InvestNZ is demonstrating to the world's investors we are open for business, ready to scale up and take advantage of new opportunities," Ross said. "Without trees for our mills, then we will have no wood products to sell, so working together and supporting each other for the benefit of the industry and New Zealand is the way forward."

New Zealand's plantation forests are sustainably managed and widely certified under international standards. The sector produces a broad range of products including sawn timber, pulp, paperboard, panels, engineered wood, bioenergy and remanufactured goods, with exports increasingly focused on higher-value, processed items.

InvestNZ will target inbound investments ranging from NZ$20 million scalable projects to transactions of NZ$100 million–NZ$1 billion. The agency will serve as a connector between domestic companies and international capital while providing policy advice to government to maintain New Zealand’s global competitiveness in sustainable forestry and wood processing.

The designation reflects growing global demand for low-carbon, renewable construction materials and positions New Zealand to capture a larger share of premium markets through expanded production capacity and advanced manufacturing.