Development of the timber industry in the Mekong Delta: opportunities and challenges

Despite good export growth, Vietnam's wood industry still relies significantly on imported raw materials. In 2024, the import of wood and wood products was $2.81 billion, an increase of 28.1% compared to 2023. Specifically, the import of raw wood materials accounted for about $2.4 billion, equivalent to 85.2% of the total import value of the industry. The import of sawn wood reached 2.39 million cubic meters, valued at $923 million, an increase of 66.4% compared to 2023. In the first half of 2024, Vietnam imported 2.5 million cubic meters of wood, valued at $838.4 million - a sharp increase in both quantity and value compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the domestic production of planted forest wood is still insufficient to meet demand. In 2023, the harvest was about 20.8 million cubic meters, increasing to about 23.3 million cubic meters in 2024, but still low compared to the demand for processing and export. This indicates that raw material issues are the biggest ...