Teak wood takes approximately 50 to 60 years to grow to maturity. It is a commodity that is heavy demand, but with a limited, recurring supply.

In early history, Britain was very interested to grow and produce this wood. The British quickly realized they did not need to grow Teak Wood as they could annex those countries where the Teak wood was grown and have a plentiful supply: India, Thailand and Burma. I am not saying this is why the British took over Asia and India, but it certainly helped to give reason. Myanmar (formerly Burma), which is just south of India, and Yangoon became the first places where teak was being harvested for British ships. Calcutta was set up as another British shipbuilding site. All of the British merchant ships built in Calcutta were built with Myanmar teak logs which were said to be the best at that time. Once the wood was depleted from India, teak logs were harvested from Thailand and Burma. The British needed many ships to be able to go on to conquer and take control of British colonies and the naval fleet was their primary means.

Teak forests were quickly being depleted. Teak was now the preferred wood used for building ships as we have previously explored. The wood was also impervious to wood rot and insects, like the mighty woodworm, (side note: The famous Ocean liner "Queen Mary" used no less than 1000 tons of teak when built). The British quickly realized the depletion of teak wood that was taking place and developed a re-forestation plan. They appointed a leader to head this new bureau and began replanting teak trees on what are now called teak "plantations". A set of very strict laws were enacted regarding who can cut teak wood and who can purchase it. Once these laws were set in place, one needed to have permission from the British Government to be able to cut a teak tree down and or export it. Teak was also being used by the locals for furniture, posts for houses and paneling, (another side note: India is the third largest importer of teak wood today, behind China and Japan. As much as 80% of India's timber consumption is teak). Teak wood is used in India today for local consumption; building homes, furniture, outdoor furniture, fencing, etc. It is the one wood that can withstand the monsoons, the blistering heat and the humidity. It is the wood that all other timber species are compared to.

Due to the large demand for teak wood today, many countries that now have government controlled plantations are reviewing the possible rotation (cutting down the teak wood trees) after 30 or 40 years. The consensus with this rotation is that the wood will not be inferior at that rate. However, there are some countries that are trying tree rotation after only 25 years. This would help their particular economy by turning out teak wood more frequently. The result of this shorter rotation cycle is timber that is smaller in diameter, color, and grain.

Because most teak wood today is grown on plantations, and the demand is growing at an estimated 10% per year, teak is still heavily regulated and is sold through the auction process. It is not very easy to get. There are still the regulatory permits that must be purchased and other expenses that go along with regulation. For example, once purchased, it is usually the purchasing companies' responsibility to provide transportation if the teak wood is to be exported, and certain countries have regulations on how many logs can be exported. Currently, Java, Indonesia is the largest exporter of teak. There are several companies located in Java that will process and fashion the teak wood into teak outdoor furniture or planks for flooring or siding, and then export the finished items to countries around the world.