 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc |
At a forum to seek solutions to developing timber industry in Hanoi on Friday, the Prime Minister called for efforts to earn 11 billion USD from timber exports this year, 13 billion USD in 2020, and 20 billion USD in 2025. He said:“In the next decade, Vietnam must enter a group of 15 countries with biggest agriculture and become a leading timber exporter in the world. Currently, Vietnam’s timber products account for only 6% of the world market worth 430 billion USD. How many percent of the world market share will Vietnam contribute to by 2030? Is it 20%, 30%, or 50%? How should we do to achieve these goals? All these require a big strategy.”
Last year, Vietnam exported forestry products worth 9.4 billion USD with an export surplus of more than 7 billion USD. Vietnam is now the 5th largest exporter of timber in the world, 2nd in Asia, and 1st in Southeast Asia. The country has 4,500 timber processors and exporters. The national forestry sector has grown rapidly, providing a livelihood to 25 million people.