Abstract
Sri Lanka is self-sufficient in meeting its domestic requirements for most forest products with the exception of plywood, paper, and paperboard. The wood-based manufacturing sector in Sri Lanka consists of a variety of industries. Many producers have the potential to meet International quality standards, but most do not participate in export markets because of limited production capacity. Although there is growing demand for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber in international market niches, FSC certification is a concept new to Sri Lanka. At present, certification is confined mainly to the rubber plantation sectors in Sri Lanka. When promoting certification, it should not be viewed only as a marketing tool to find price premiums. Other benefits of certification such as cost savings through improved production and processing, increasing overall efficiency through better management, deflecting a negative…