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Viet Nam and the EU have just signed the Voluntary Partnership Agreement and Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (VPA/FLEGT). The implementation of the Agreement will take place in the next few years, in addition to the benefits of expanding the export market and creating more advantageous conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to import into the EU, the VPA/FLEGT will also have some difficulties for the stakeholders as well as economic sectors as complying with this agreement.

According to the statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s export turnover of W&WP in March 2017 hit a record over US$713 million, up 57% from last month and increased by 22.31% compared with the same period of 2016. In which, the export turnover of wood products reached US$518 million, up 66.4% compared with February 2016 and up 22% in comparison with the same period of 2016.

Aseries of changes in the timber supply source from countries in the region have made challenges in securing the supplies for the timber industry in Vietnam in the coming time, it not only meets the growth in 10-15% per year but also still have to ensure legal timber. In 2016, Vietnam and the EU ended the FLEGT negotiations and after the agreement takes effect, Vietnam’s all wood products which export to the EU must have a legal origin. Along with the change in timber management policies in Myanmar, Laos or China in the tight direction of exporting logs and lumber, which will great