Workers process wood products for export (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) –With large shipments in the first eight months, Vietnam’s forestry sector expects to fulfill this year’sexport target of 9 billion USD a month ahead of schedule.
About 696 million USD worth of timber and woodproducts were shipped abroad in August, raising the eight-month figure to 5.6billion USD – up 12.6 percent year on year, according to the VietnamAdministration of Forestry (VNForest).
The US, China, Japan and the Republic of Koreawere the main markets of the Vietnamese wood sector during the period.
Timber and wood product exports are hoped toearn 9 billion USD in 2018, up 1 billion USD from last year, giving the sectora good chance to achieve the target a full month early.
[Infographics: Turning wood-forestry processing for export into a spearhead sector]
VNForest said the biggest success in woodtrading is maintaining export growth while curbing the increase of imports.
The sharp fall in wood imports from Laos andCambodia was thanks to a prohibition of exporting wood from planted forests,along with efforts by the Vietnamese Government and businesses to control woodimports from the two neighbouring countries.
Meanwhile, imports from some countries with strongwood industry laws like Brazil, Chile and the US have grown well.
VNForest added that Vietnam will press aheadwith diversifying wood import sources in the short term, while in the long term,it will develop timber forests to ensure supply for domestic production.–VNA
VNA
