(VNF) - Export value of wood and wooden products in May 2015 reached almost USD2.56 billion, up 6.9% year on year, reported the Ho Chi Minh City Handicraft and Wood Industry Association (Hawa).

The US, Japan and China were the three biggest importers of Ho Chi Minh City’s wood products, accounting for 65.3% of the total. The advantage came from the economic crisis making European producers reduce their wood production and the US imposing on anti-dumping tax on Chinese wooden products.

Illustrated photo. (Source: VNA)

Vietnam’s wood export turnover is forecast to rise sharply until the end of the year as domestic wood producers have announced numerous orders throughout the year. In addition, the ASEAN Economic Community formation in December 2015 is expected to offer more opportunities for Vietnamese wood producers because wood is among the 12 prioritized sectors for export.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade predicted that the domestic wood market would see positive growth in 2015 as consumption demand of made-in-Vietnam wooden products was on the rise. The country planned to earn USD7 billion from wood and wooden products exports in this year.

However, aiming at sustainable development, the domestic wood industry needs to standardize its production process as well as design and make more Vietnamese branded products. In addition, experts suggested the industry define sections in the supply chain in order to attach importance to the production process.

Vietnam is now the world’s sixth biggest wood producers with an average export growth value of 27.15% during the 2011-2010 period. In 2014, the country earned USD6.23 billion from wood exports./.

( Hoang Minh )