Vietnam to reap bigger woodwork export turnovers in 2005

Vietnam is estimated to ship abroad woodwork worth over 1.5 billion US dollars this year, up from one billion dollars last year, the Information Center under the country's Trade Ministry said Tuesday.

Vietnam earned more than 1.3 billion dollars from exporting wood products, including tables, chairs, beds and wardrobes, mainly to the European Union, the United States, Japan and China's Taiwan, in the first 11 months of this year, up 40.9 percent, the center said.

To boost woodwork production and export, Vietnam is diversifying material sources and export markets. Now, some local woodwork items made from materials imported from the United States and South Africa are available in not only the traditional markets, but also South Africa, Kuwait, Chile and Peru.

Vietnam, home to a wood reserve of 600 million cubic meters, can exploit some 3 million cubic meters of wood each year. Now, it houses 1,500 wood processing firms, mainly in southern Ho Chi Minh City, the two southern provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai, and some central coastal localities.

Source: Xinhua