Vietnam’s wood exports in the world top ten
12/01/2015
(MARD - 15/08/2014) Vietnam has led the Southeast Asia in wood exports and been listed in the world’s top ten wood exporters.
As Vietnam’s wood export turnover grew 19% and gained US$5.7 billion last year and is expected to hit $6.5 billion this year, the turnover target of $ 10 billion by 2020 is feasible. Mr. Nguyen Chien Thang, former chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA), said that Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have been far behind and cannot surpass Vietnam in wood exports. Laos and Cambodia have not built wood processing industry yet.
The wood processing industry has high labor productivity with each worker creating US$18,300 per year while in the footwear industry only US$13,900; the seafood industry US$8,900 and the garment and textile industry US$7,100USD. Remarkably, the industry growth led to the development of ancillary industries such as wood glue, colored oil, metallic materials, packaging and dunnage, sandpaper with annual sales of over $1.7 billion (imported raw materials accounted for 30%). According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), wood processing industry is one of ten industries bringing highest export turnover and a significant contribution to the national GDP. The World Bank (WB) said the industry has great potential with international competitiveness and diversified market.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Khanh, chairman of the Hawa said that the wood processing industry had a lot of opportunities. Besides export markets of up to 120 countries, the domestic market with more than 90 million people each spending more than 21 USD per year on wooden furniture is an attractive market. Under the economic recovery, if the domestic market is well exploited, domestic sales can reach around 2 billion USD a year. So Hawa had sent a proposal to the Prime Minister to make wood processing industry to be one of the key economic sectors, targeting at annual export turnover of 20 billion USD.
The wood processing industry has high labor productivity with each worker creating US$18,300 per year while in the footwear industry only US$13,900; the seafood industry US$8,900 and the garment and textile industry US$7,100USD. Remarkably, the industry growth led to the development of ancillary industries such as wood glue, colored oil, metallic materials, packaging and dunnage, sandpaper with annual sales of over $1.7 billion (imported raw materials accounted for 30%). According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), wood processing industry is one of ten industries bringing highest export turnover and a significant contribution to the national GDP. The World Bank (WB) said the industry has great potential with international competitiveness and diversified market.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Khanh, chairman of the Hawa said that the wood processing industry had a lot of opportunities. Besides export markets of up to 120 countries, the domestic market with more than 90 million people each spending more than 21 USD per year on wooden furniture is an attractive market. Under the economic recovery, if the domestic market is well exploited, domestic sales can reach around 2 billion USD a year. So Hawa had sent a proposal to the Prime Minister to make wood processing industry to be one of the key economic sectors, targeting at annual export turnover of 20 billion USD.
