A forest industry company based in Wellington is planning a major joint venture with a Chinese manufacturer.
Forme Consulting and Tianjin Sunwin, plan to build a $50 million timber processing plant near the port of Tianjin, near Beijing.
Forme Consulting director Jon Dey says the joint venture will involve radiata pine being sawn, processed and dried in New Zealand, before being shipped to the plant for treatment.
He says the joint venture is made easier by the free trade agreement between New Zealand and China and is confident it will boost business in both countries.
The companies are currently applying for permission to use the land. If approved, the plant could be operational in 2012 and process 50,000 cubic metres of timber per year.
Mr Dey hopes the deal will help push radiata pine into high value wood markets in Europe.
