Myanma_Timber_Enterprise
Myanma Timber Enterprise
State-owned timber company
Myanma Timber Enterprise (Burmese: မြန်မာ့သစ်လုပ်ငန်း; abbreviated MTE) is the national timber company of Myanmar. Founded in 1948 as the State Timber Board, MTE is a state-owned monopoly that regulates the harvest and sale of timber in the country, drawing a percentage of the country's total timber export revenue.[1][2] Myanmar's forest product regulations deem only wood under the control of the MTE to be legal.[3] The MTE has been accused of corruption, specifically of accepting bribes and subcontracting to allow illegal export of mislabeled or illegally logged wood, in violation of both Myanmar law and laws on timber import in the European Union and the US.[2]