Export opportunities for Viet-Nam timber products in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore

Indications are that demand will continue to climb, exceeding the capacity of the major Southest Asian exporting countries to meet it. Prospects of a tighter market situation for Southeast Asian hardwoods make this a favorable time to develop a timber export business in the Republic of Vietnam. The shift from a buyer"s to a potential seller"s market should also make it easier to build up domestic manufacturing of timber products for export; at present, Southeast Asian timber countries are exporting most of their timber in the form of logs. Principal timber importing countries have been Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore.