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How a Global Teak Supply Collapse is Reshaping the Marine Industry
[May 19, 2025]




As Burmese teak vanishes from global markets, builders face soaring prices, supply shortages, and a growing shift toward synthetic and plantation alternatives

It’s been called the “king of woods.” Long revered for its unmatched beauty and durability, teak has been a prized lumber for centuries. As with most precious resources, the history of this exotic hardwood has been anything but stable. Now, the global teak industry is at a critical juncture as geopolitical constraints have resulted in unprecedented supply-chain issues and disruption in the boatbuilding industry. What began as another temporary disruption on the tail end of the COVID pandemic has now erupted into a full-scale crisis for builders and potential buyers alike. Once a cornerstone of high-end marine craftsmanship, true Burmese teak has largely vanished from the US and European markets.

For suppliers, builders and buyers, the dilemma is clear but not easy—pay exorbitant, inflated prices for the dwindling supply of true Burmese teak or turn to less-desirable alternatives, as the highly sought-after wood becomes one of the industry’s most precious commodities. Although its history is riddled with struggle and controversy, the future of traditional teak is more uncertain than ever, leaving the industry navigating uncharted waters and faced with a moral dilemma of staying true to tradition or adapting to a changing landscape.


Teak’s Troubled Past
While the present crisis marks the most severe shortage on record, it’s hardly the first disruption to affect the flow of this prized hardwood. The challenges facing the industry now are part of an ongoing, tangled narrative, much like the long, rocky, and unstable past of the teak trade.
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EU Trade Bans Teak Import
While the EU immediately banned the import of Burmese teak, the US allowed for teak that had already been cut to be shipped into the country. This dampened the full impact of the ban on the US market for several years, as teak already in the “system” was still readily available. “From stump to boat, the timeline for teak to reach the end user is about two to three years from the time it was harvested,” Matt says. Although prices increased almost immediately following the ban, the pre-cut teak continued to enter the market and lulled many into viewing the situation as just the latest chapter in the volatile world of the teak trade. For both suppliers and builders, it wasn’t until 2023 that the industry started to feel the pinch as supplies of pre-cut teak started to dry up.

For nearly 50 years, Release Marine has handcrafted some of the best fighting chairs and accessories in the industry, building its reputation on quality products and customer satisfaction. Relying primarily on pure Burmese teak for the majority of its business, Release Marine has been one of the largest consumers of teak lumber in the US for years. Matt Hecht, president of Release Marine, explains what seems to be a common thread among teak’s major buyers.

“By 2023, it became almost impossible to find the proper lengths, widths and thicknesses we need,” he says. Boatbuilders and companies such as Release Marine that once relied on large, single-piece teak boards for yacht decking and high-end furniture are now forced to work within different constraints. “We used to get 12-plus-inch-wide, 12-foot-long boards, which all of our products are designed around,” Hecht recalls. “Now that’s almost impossible to find. We’re making do with shorter, narrower and thinner boards, which means more seams, more labor and ultimately a lot more time to ensure the same look and quality that we’re known for.”

The transition away from Burmese teak has led to an increased reliance on plantation-­grown teak. “Decades ago, people recognized teak’s value and started farming it in Central America, Africa, other parts of Asia and even in the Caribbean,” Hecht explains. “Now we’re finally seeing those efforts pay off, but plantation teak is still not a perfect substitute.”

Unlike Burmese teak, which was the standard for decades, plantation teak trees are generally harvested younger, resulting in smaller logs that produce shorter, narrower and thinner boards. Additionally, the physical characteristics of plantation teak vary depending on soil composition, climate and growth conditions. “The trees from Burma were old-growth trees grown in mineral-rich volcanic soil. The trees coming from plantations now are younger with a much wider variation in the color and density of the grain pattern. That difference matters for board sizes, but mainly impacts the ability to maintain the look that everyone wants,” Hecht says.

Unsurprisingly, with Burmese teak no longer available and the demand for plantation teak growing, its price has surged. “A few years ago, you could buy plantation teak for less than half the price of Burmese teak. Now, with supply dwindling and demand rising, plantation teak costs the same, if not more, despite its drawbacks,” Hecht adds.

Despite these hurdles, teak remains an irreplaceable material in marine and luxury applications due to its natural oil content, weather resistance and aesthetic appeal. As Hecht notes, “even though plantation teak isn’t exactly what we had before, it’s still teak. It still has the characteristics that make it desirable, and there’s no replacement for the depth and natural beauty of real wood once it’s finished.”
 

The Future of Teak’s Use in the Marine Industry
Emerging from the metaphorical ashes of the imperiled teak industry is the promising, yet controversial, option of faux teak. Including both paint-based solutions and synthetic decking materials, this artificial option gives the appearance of real teak and has existed for decades.

Josh Everett, owner of Everett Nautical Designs, has specialized in painting faux teak for roughly a decade and is employed by some of the most prominent builders in the sport-fishing and mega-yacht markets. As suspected, Everett’s business is booming. “I have no life. I am always on the road,” he states. “We have to turn down more work than we can take on at this point. Our goal is to imitate nature, and to do that well, it takes time. To keep that level of quality, I’ve actually had to dial my business back.” As the faux-teak market explodes, Everett highlights how the ever-tumultuous teak industry has forced even the most ardent purists to explore synthetic options. “A lot of builders are still on the fence about faux teak,” Everett states. “It has taken a long time for these guys to come around, but the inflated prices of teak and the increased quality of the faux-teak options available on the market have really forced their hand. It really will be interesting to see where the market goes from here.”

Looking ahead, two factors could reshape the teak industry, according to several industry leaders grappling with the uncertainty surrounding the teak trade. First, if opposition forces were to topple the military regime in Myanmar, a newly recognized government could reopen trade channels with the US and EU, potentially revitalizing the flow of Burmese teak.

Second, although the future of US trade policy remains a wild card, many in the industry hope Trump will loosen restrictions on teak importation. They also recognize such considerations may not be a high priority and that sanctions proposed by the Trump administration may further delay a solution.

For now, companies and consumers are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape with no clear solution in sight. With Burmese teak still being strangled from the supply chain, boatbuilders and suppliers are sourcing from a patchwork of global providers that offer an ever-­dwindling supply of Burmese teak or less-desirable plantation teak, each presenting its own challenges.

And while purists remain committed to natural teak, many industry insiders agree that a shift to teak alternatives is already underway. Either way, the final tale of the “king of woods” remains untold.
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Source: marlinmag.com



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