Ngai Tahu has bought nearly 23,000ha of pine trees from the Crown's West Coast Timberlands forest.
The trees sit on land already owned and operated by the tribe's subsidiary, Ngai Tahu Forest Estates.
The Government will not say how much it has sold the trees for, nor is it willing to be specific about why it has offloaded them, saying only that it has a policy to exit commercial forestry.
Associate Primary Industries Minister Jo Goodhew says existing supply agreements with timber processing mills will continue.
Ngai Tahu expects harvesting to increase by 10 percent, with the deal expected to be completed by the end of April.
