Tropical timber suppliers at the Carrefour Internationale du Bois (CIB) exhibition in Nantes said there were signs the European market is steadying after a challenging 2023-early 2024. The broad consensus was that trade would remain at about the same level as last year, although some went as far as predicting improvement, albeit modest and gradual.At the same time, trade issues and challenges were also raised. They included rising freight rates, administrative delays in securing export paperwork and the latest tropical hardwood CITES Appendix II listings. Another key topic of discussion at the show was the time and ...