Vietnam’s export turnover of forest products was estimated at USD 8.71 billion in the first half of 2021, up 61.6% year-on-year — an impressive performance that could bring the sector’s total export value to USD 15.5 billion for the year.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh described this as “a rare phenomenon” in the country’s agricultural trade history.
Record-Breaking Export Growth
According to the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST), exports of wood and forest products reached USD 8.71 billion in the first six months of 2021.
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Wood and wood materials: USD 1.76 billion, up 23.6%
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Wood products: USD 6.35 billion, up 75.4%
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Non-timber forest products: USD 0.6 billion, up 72.9%
The sector recorded a trade surplus of USD 7.2 billion, representing a 67.4% increase compared with the same period of 2020 — one of the highest surplus ratios among Vietnam’s export industries.
VNFOREST forecasts that in 2021, Vietnam’s forest product exports will reach approximately USD 15.5 billion, a rise of 17% year-on-year.
Sustainable Growth and Value Addition
Deputy Minister Le Quoc Doanh emphasized that this is an extraordinary achievement, as forestry exports accounted for nearly 40% of total agricultural export turnover in the first half of the year.
He noted that the USD 7.2 billion trade surplus demonstrates significant value addition from wood processing, product diversification, and high-value exports.
“These figures highlight the sustainable development of Vietnam’s forestry value chain — from raw material cultivationto harvesting and processing,” he said.
Strategic Focus for the Second Half of the Year
However, Deputy Minister Doanh cautioned against complacency. He urged VNFOREST and the entire sector to prepare comprehensive contingency plans to respond promptly to climate events, natural disasters, pandemics, and market fluctuations to avoid disruption.
He also called for intensified efforts to expand forest development, ensuring a stable and sustainable supply of raw materials for the wood processing industry.
“Close coordination between enterprises and industry associations is vital to prevent supply chain disruptions and to strengthen the domestic market,” he stressed.