The export value of wood and timber products in the first two months of2014 increased 8.4 percent to 796 million USD, according to the Ministryof Agriculture and Rural Development.
The ministry reported thatthe US remained Vietnam's largest importer of this kind of product,having imported goods worth 186.67 million USD in the period, about 30percent of the total value of Vietnam's wood and timber exports.
Major wood and timber products exported to the US market are chairs, fir beds, tables and wardrobes.
Chinawas the second-largest importer with imports valued at 90.56 millionUSD in January, a 60.3 percent rise compared to the same period lastyear.
Japan ranked third with imports of 67.76 million USD, relatively unchanged from the previous year.
Cumulative wood and timber exports were more than 5.37 billion USD in 2013, a year-over-year increase of 15.2 percent.
GeneralSecretary of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association(Vifores) Nguyen Ton Quyen said Vietnam aimed to export a total 6.2billion USD worth of wood and timber products this year, up 9 percentcompared to 2013.
Quyen added that the export outlook for theindustry in 2014 was bright as local exporters have so far signed exportcontracts valued at more than 3 billion USD.
Also, the signingof bilateral and multilateral agreements would create more favourableconditions for the industry, he remarked.
He noted that theEuropean Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) andVoluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), expected to be signed this year,would be a good opportunity for Vietnam.
Vietnam currently onlyhad access to the markets of Germany, France, Britain and Spain. IfVietnam could export to the 27 countries in the EU, the scale of themarket would become much larger, Quyen said.
"The selling pricein the European market is higher, the market is more stable andVietnam's products can be sold directly to local consumers," Quyen said.
However, Quyen added that authorities should change the currentregulations to fit the EU's new ones. Furthermore, awareness ofpartners among the wood and timber products businesses, such as forestplanters, traders, trade villages for VPA and FLEGT, was low, so theyfound it difficult to access opportunities provided by VPA/FLEGT.
TheTrans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is also being evaluated tounearth hidden opportunities for the export of agriculture, forestry andfishery goods, according to Quyen.
However, he noted that if theTPP was signed in 2014, enterprises must be prepared to adapt,including for many large markets such as the US, Japan, Australia andNew Zealand as well as Canada.
He explained if the countrybought wood outside the TPP block, wood products exported to TPPcountries would incur two large risks: high taxes and strict legalsupervision.
Vietnam currently buys wood from almost 40countries and exports to countries such as the US, Japan, New Zealand,Canada and the EU. The tariff rate will be zero if wood is bought fromthe TPP block.-VNA
The ministry reported thatthe US remained Vietnam's largest importer of this kind of product,having imported goods worth 186.67 million USD in the period, about 30percent of the total value of Vietnam's wood and timber exports.
Major wood and timber products exported to the US market are chairs, fir beds, tables and wardrobes.
Chinawas the second-largest importer with imports valued at 90.56 millionUSD in January, a 60.3 percent rise compared to the same period lastyear.
Japan ranked third with imports of 67.76 million USD, relatively unchanged from the previous year.
Cumulative wood and timber exports were more than 5.37 billion USD in 2013, a year-over-year increase of 15.2 percent.
GeneralSecretary of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association(Vifores) Nguyen Ton Quyen said Vietnam aimed to export a total 6.2billion USD worth of wood and timber products this year, up 9 percentcompared to 2013.
Quyen added that the export outlook for theindustry in 2014 was bright as local exporters have so far signed exportcontracts valued at more than 3 billion USD.
Also, the signingof bilateral and multilateral agreements would create more favourableconditions for the industry, he remarked.
He noted that theEuropean Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) andVoluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), expected to be signed this year,would be a good opportunity for Vietnam.
Vietnam currently onlyhad access to the markets of Germany, France, Britain and Spain. IfVietnam could export to the 27 countries in the EU, the scale of themarket would become much larger, Quyen said.
"The selling pricein the European market is higher, the market is more stable andVietnam's products can be sold directly to local consumers," Quyen said.
However, Quyen added that authorities should change the currentregulations to fit the EU's new ones. Furthermore, awareness ofpartners among the wood and timber products businesses, such as forestplanters, traders, trade villages for VPA and FLEGT, was low, so theyfound it difficult to access opportunities provided by VPA/FLEGT.
TheTrans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) is also being evaluated tounearth hidden opportunities for the export of agriculture, forestry andfishery goods, according to Quyen.
However, he noted that if theTPP was signed in 2014, enterprises must be prepared to adapt,including for many large markets such as the US, Japan, Australia andNew Zealand as well as Canada.
He explained if the countrybought wood outside the TPP block, wood products exported to TPPcountries would incur two large risks: high taxes and strict legalsupervision.
Vietnam currently buys wood from almost 40countries and exports to countries such as the US, Japan, New Zealand,Canada and the EU. The tariff rate will be zero if wood is bought fromthe TPP block.-VNA
