The forestry industry showed a strong increase in export value in the first four months of the year, according to the Viet Nam Forestry Administration.

Forestry exports were estimated to have hit US$3.3 billion in the period, a year-on-year increase of 17.8 per cent, including $875 million in April alone.

Key markets for Vietnamese forestry products included the US, Japan, the EU, China and the Republic of Korea, accounting for 87 per cent of the exports, it said.

Viet Nam imported $790 million of forestry products in the first four months, up about 15.1 per cent year on year, including $210 million in April.

About 60 per cent of imported timber and furniture came from China, the US, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Chile, Germany, New Zealand and France.

The national export value of farming, forestry and fishery products in the first four months of the year reached $12.4 billion, similar to the figure recorded in the same period last year, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Of which, the export value of farming produce for the period is likely to hit $6.6 billion, a light surge against $6.5 billion in the same period of 2018.

Impressive export revenues were seen in fruits and vegetables ($1.4 billion), cashew nuts ($922 million), rubber ($559 million) and pepper ($288 million).

The export value of aquatic products reached $2.5 billion, up 2.4 per cent, including $635 million from tra fish and $913 million from shrimp.

On the contrary, decreases in both export volume and value look set to be recorded for rice, coffee, cassava and cassava products. The export volume of rice dropped 8 per cent and value was down 19 per cent, while the respective falls of coffee were 13 per cent and 19 per cent. Cassava and cassava products were down 14 per cent and 3.3 per cent.

In the four-month period, Viet Nam imported $9.7 billion worth of farming, forestry and fishery products and agricultural materials, up 3.2 per cent year on year, including $2.7 billion in April. — VNS