Established in 2008
From logs to lumber, we connect New Zealand foresters and sawmillers with international buyers through trusted relationships and end-to-end trade facilitation.
Sustainably managed New Zealand forests. High-quality Radiata Pine, grown across generations of forestry partnerships.
Facilitated into India since 2008 — built on relationships at every port, every shipment, every season.
Where that opportunity grows — helping New Zealand sawmillers reach higher-value international markets.
About Us
Kandla Timber Associates is a New Zealand-founded timber market-access and trade facilitation business, connecting New Zealand forestry producers with international buyers. Established in 2008, we were built around New Zealand Radiata Pine, international timber markets and long-standing commercial relationships.
We are not primarily a timber merchant buying stock and reselling it. Our role is to act as a market-access, agency and trade facilitation partner — helping producers with market development, buyer identification, customer relationships, sales channels, market intelligence, commercial coordination, logistics interface, documentation and shipment execution. The value isn't just introductions; it's building durable trade channels.
Since 2008, we have facilitated more than 2.5 million m³ of New Zealand Radiata Pine log trade into India — the foundation of everything we've built. Logs built the relationships. Lumber is where that opportunity grows: helping New Zealand sawmillers reach higher-value international markets.
Why Kandla Timber
Rooted in New Zealand forestry, with particular depth in Radiata Pine — not a generalist trading desk.
Operating since 2008, with relationships built — and maintained — over nearly two decades.
Locally headquartered in New Zealand, India and the UAE — not a single office looking outward.
We understand how wood is actually used across customer industries, not just who imports it.
Supporting the full journey from market opportunity through to execution and repeat business.
New producers plug into the sales and distribution network we've already built in India and the UAE — not one they have to build from scratch.
Leadership
Founder & Managing Director
Raj founded Kandla Timber Associates and has spent more than 20 years building New Zealand's forestry trade relationships with India. He works closely with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and India's Plant Protection Quarantine (PPQ) authority to support seamless, compliant trade between the two countries. Over that time, Raj has secured exclusive New Zealand forestry representation in India, resolved fumigation-related trade barriers with New Zealand and Indian government officials to restore pine timber exports, and advised the New Zealand Prime Minister's delegation on India–New Zealand timber trade during bilateral discussions.
Raj@kandlatimber.comDirector of Strategy
Kushant is Director of Strategy at Kandla Timber, alongside a strategy and finance career spanning healthcare, aviation and infrastructure. He began at Deloitte New Zealand as a Senior Healthcare Consultant, before joining Air New Zealand as Senior Strategy Manager. He now partners with executive leadership at Ports of Auckland as a Strategy & Finance Business Partner. He holds an MBA from the University of Auckland.
Kushant@kandlatimber.comServices
Understand the producer's needs.
Provide access to our established distribution network.
Build the relationship.
Facilitate transparent, brand-building trade.
Grow the trade — delivering value to both sides.
Helping New Zealand forestry producers identify, enter and develop international timber markets.
Supporting producers with international customer relationships and long-term market development.
Matching products with credible buyers based on specification, application and commercial fit.
Developing commercial pathways between New Zealand supply and downstream customer demand.
Supporting the trade journey from customer engagement through commercial coordination, logistics interface, documentation and shipment execution.
Providing local insight into market demand, customer needs, applications, product positioning and commercial dynamics.
We do more than make introductions — we help build durable trade channels.
How We Work
New producers don't start from zero. We give them direct access to the sales and distribution network we've already built and maintained since 2008 — helping make that relationship commercially viable and repeatable, rather than holding and reselling stock.
Markets
A local presence across New Zealand, India and the UAE.
Map data: Al MacDonald / Fritz Lekschas, CC BY-SA 3.0
India is Kandla Timber's most established international market. Since 2008, we have facilitated more than 2.5 million m³ of New Zealand Radiata Pine log trade into India — with sales and distribution relationships across furniture manufacturing, pallets and packaging, construction, joinery, mouldings, components, remanufacturing and industrial wood applications. We understand downstream demand, not merely buyer introductions.
A growth market we're building deliberately. Kandla Timber's UAE presence supports the development of customer relationships and timber market opportunities across the Middle East, building on the same relationship-first approach that has driven our growth in India.
Kandla Timber continues to explore and develop international market opportunities where New Zealand timber has a strong commercial fit. We also facilitate trade into target Asian markets by leveraging our existing network — always led by relationships, market intelligence and long-term value.
Contact
Whether you are a New Zealand forester, sawmiller or international buyer, we would be pleased to explore how we can work together.
