Producing wood products for export (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The export value of forestry products in the firstfive months of 2019 hit 4.25 billion USD, up nearly 20 percent year-on-year, accordingto the Vietnam Administration of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD).
In May alone, the countryraked in 959 million USD from forestry product exports, reported theadministration.
The US, Japan, the EuropeanUnion (EU), China and the Republic of Korea remained the largest importers ofVietnamese forestry products, accounting for some 87 percent ofthe industry’s total export value.
Meanwhile, its total importturnover of wood and wooden products in the reviewed period reached 1.01 billionUSD, 16 percent higher than that of the same period last year.
Hence, Vietnam’s forestry export enjoyed a tradesurplus of 3.24 billion USD in the first five months of 2019.
To ensure its growth targetin the first half of 2019 in the context of widespread effects of African swine fever, the agricultural sector aims to increaseforestry production value from 6-8percent, focusing on increasing the volume ofexploited timber to meet the processing needs of the wood industry.
The sector planted 75,200ha of forest in the first five months, equivalent to the same period last year.The volume of exploited wood is estimated at 7.86 million cu.m, up 5.2 percentover the same period in 2018.
The Voluntary PartnershipAgreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (VPA/FLEGT) betweenVietnam and the EU officially took effect on June 1, 2019. It shows the commitmentof Vietnam and the EU to promoting the implementation of the "Trade andSustainable Development" programme in the framework of the EU-Vietnam FreeTrade Agreement.
To promote export offorestry products to the EU as well as other markets, the MARD has establishedthe Vietnam Forest Certification Office (VFCS), which will serve as a bridge topromote cooperation with international forest certification organizations and relevantorganisations to operate the national forest certification system, and implementforest certification activities in Vietnam.
Last year, the country raked in some 9.3 billionUSD from shipping forestry products to foreign nations.
Vietnam is now home to 4,500 enterprises specializingin processing and exporting wood and forestry products. They include more than700 foreign-invested businesses with a large production scale and applicationof advanced technology for production.-VNA
VNA
