The Vietnamese government is to be lobbied to assist wood processors comply with forest certification standards to help them compete in the world market.
Companies which have exported large volumes of wood products in the past say they are now encountering difficulties, particularly in EU markets, because they do not have Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
But, they maintain, certification is expensive – costing $10,000 initially and $4,000 a year thereafter – costs most cannot afford, so limiting their opportunities for expansion.
And they say that as no FSC inspections have yet been carried out in Vietnam, processors are having to import certified timber from Malaysia and Indonesia if they wish to obtain certification for their goods.
Agriculture department officials in Ho Chi Minh city have now called on the government to help wood enterprises meet certification requirements.
