Vietnam earned US$712 million from wood product exports in the first six months of this year, equal to 50.8 per cent of the yearly plan or a 44.7 per cent year-on-year rise. Vietnam's wood products are primarily exported to the US and EU.This year, the country aims to earn US$1.5 billion from wood product exports. The industry has been growing at a rate of 70 per cent since 2000, and its export turnover rose to more than $1 billion in 2004 from $202.8 million in 1999. More than 1,200 wood processing plants are operating in the country, capable of processing 2 million cubic metres of wood per year. Over half of these processing plants are located in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding provinces such as Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Long An and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Of them, 300 are operating on a large scale. The region's wood processing capacity accounts for 70 per cent of the country's capacity and will increase in the coming period.

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