Vietnam exactly spent US$533.3 million importing timber materials in the first seven months of 2007, a sharp rise of 43 per cent against last year, according to latest figures provided by the Vietnam General Customs Department.
Of the sum, expenditure on importing MDF plank was US$68.18 million, up 63 per cent year on year. Price of the plank averaged at US$255 per cubic meters, a rise of 22.59 per cent from the price offered last year.
In Jan-Jun, pine timber import also climbed by 85.7 per cent on year, to US$59.91 million totally, with price surging by 13.68 per cent to US$216 per cubic meters, on average.
Despite being one of biggest rubber growers in the world, Vietnam had to spend US$51.47 million importing rubber trees for woodwork processing in the first seven months of 2007, up 38 per cent on year. Rubber price imported from Malaysia was US$302 per cu.m while it was only US$230 per cu.m from Cambodia.
The country imported US$40.84 million worth of eucalyptus in Jan-Jul, up 27.4 per cent on year, at averaged price of 222 per cu.m.
Malaysia remained the biggest timber exporter of Vietnam with export revenue totaling US$81 million in seven months, up 9.45 per cent on year.
Neighboring Laos ranked second as it exported nearly US$60 million worth of timber to Vietnam, presenting a sharp increase of 99 per cent on year.
China won third position, exporting US$54.97 million worth of timber to Vietnam during the time, up as many as 64.8 per cent against Jan-Jul of 2006.
The US, who is the biggest importer of Vietnamese woodwork products, was the fourth of its kind. In Jan-Jul, it exported US$52million to Vietnam, up 33 per cent.
Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, New Zealand, Brazil, Taiwan, and Australia are also big timber suppliers to Vietnam, who earned US$1.414 billion from woodwork products export in the period. (
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Vietnamese
