Participants at the Australian National Forest Summit of conservation groups held 6-9th November 1999 reject international logging industry and US Clinton Administration moves for a global free logging agreement to be discussed at the WTO Seattle meeting(30th Nov-3rd December 1999). The groups expressed concern that such an agreement has the potential to wind back years of progressive environmental policies in favour of a deregulated industry free from environmental controls.
Commercial logging bans in Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand, Viet Nam have slowed but not halted deforestation. For example, before the logging ban in 1988, forest depletion in Thailand averaged more than 480 000 ha per year. During 1993-95 it was down to some 100,000 ha per year (MOSTE Thailand 1997).