Myanmar to hold furniture show to boost timber export

    YANGON,(Xinhua) — A five-day Myanmar furniture show will be held here early next month in a bid to introduce the country’s value-added wood products to the world market and boost timber export, according to the timber trading circle Sunday.

    Jointly sponsored by the state-run Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE) and the Timber Entrepreneurs Association, the Myanmar Furniture Show 2018, from March 3 to 7 with 166 booths, will display various pieces of furniture, finished wood-based products, rattan and bamboo wares as well as wood-made home decoration items, said the sponsor.


    Visitors and buyers from foreign countries especially from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are being expected.

    Myanmar held its first furniture show in 2004 and the second in2013.

    Myanmar has been establishing wood-based industry, giving priority to manufacturing value-added finished wood products for export. Accordingly, a number of wood-based industrial zones have been set up for the purpose since export of wood log is restricted and export of teak log by the private sector also banned since 1992 when the government enacted the Forest law.

    According to official statistics, Myanmar exported 347,400 cubic-tons (491,570 cubic-meters) of teak and 637,400 cubic-tons (901,900 cubic-meters) of hardwood in the fiscal year of 2016-07, gaining a total of over 522 million U.S. dollars of foreign exchange.

    The latest statistics show that in the first half (April-September) of 2017-08, the country exported 216,000 cubic-meters of teak and 554,820 cubic-meters of hardwood, getting a total of 268 million dollars.

    Myanmar mainly exports its timber products to India, Thailand, Japan and Malaysia.

    Timber stands as the country’s third largest export goods after mineral and agricultural products.

    Myanmar is rich in forest resources with forest covering about 50 percent of its total land area.
Editor: Bi Mingxin