Long way to go
Although the scene seems to be blooming, challenges still exist, analysts said.
US and EU requirements on environmentally friendly materials and production processes are ever-increasing. How to deal with trade barriers is a headache for many furniture exporters, according to Zhu.
"We should see it this way: It promotes us to further improve ourselves," said Fu from Camerich. In 2012, the company's investment in being environmentally friendly increased by 30 percent compared with the previous year. It funded heavily in a fully automated water-born UV coating line to ensure the quality of its products and to increase the efficiency and environmentally friendliness of its manufacturing processes.
Liu Chunjie, brand and public relations director for Markor Furnishing, said cooperation with US partners helped his company implement a "green" strategy from the designing stage to the end products.
According to Zuo Jianhua, chairman of Zhihao Furniture Co, the latest round of the European Union's environmental enhancements kicked off at the end of last year. It demands all wood furniture imported to the region should have a Forest Stewardship Council certificate from March 3. The FSC is an international nonprofit, multi-stakeholder organization promoting responsible management of the world's forests.
"In China, FSC standards have not been popularized. Few timber providers have the certificate. Even in the US and EU markets, not all furniture sold is made from timber with an FSC certificate," he said. The company, based in Foshan, Guangdong, sells its self-designed brands - Kamina and K.Gdf - in the overseas market. Zuo expects sales to drop this year.
Eric Thomas, a dealer for Zhihao in the United Kingdom, said his store in Birmingham opened three years ago and is now starting to make a profit. "I am not sure whether the barrier will hurt us greatly or not, but I don't think it's fair," he said.
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