Russian wood businesses to seek partners in Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) - A delegation of 16 wood businesses and producers from Russia
will visit Vietnam in early December to study the market and seek partners.

The Industry and Trade Ministry's Trade Promotion Department said it will
coordinate with the Vietnamese General Consulate in Russia to organise a trading
session between Russian and Vietnamese businesses in Ho Chi Minh City on Dec. 2.

The Russian businesses expect to cooperate with Vietnamese partners in wood
material, furniture and wood-based products, the department said.

In the first seven months of 2008, Vietnam 's wood exports to Russia reached 2.1
million USD, said Huynh Van Hanh, deputy chairman of HCM City 's Wood Industry
and Handicrafts Association.

Russia is expected to become a promising market for Vietnamese wood exporters
with its total wood product consumption in 2007 reaching 4.5 billion USD. The
figure is forecast to increase by 14.6 percent this year.

In the 11-month period of this year, Vietnam earned 2.56 billion USD from wood
export, a year-on-year increase of 19.9 percent.-Enditem