Why did Vanuatu ban the export of roundwood in the early 1990s?

In the early 1990s, the government of Vanuatu banned the export of roundwood because the majority of trees felled during the 1980s were being exported as unsawn logs. By implementing this ban and limiting the annual harvest, the government aimed to encourage the domestic processing of timber. As a result of this policy shift, earnings from processed wood—primarily sawn on small portable mills—increased, and wood products became a significant component of the country's exports in the early 21st century.1