Hanoi (VNA) - Forestry exports are estimated to hit 875 million USD in Apriland 3.27 billion USD in the first four months of this year, up 17.8 percentyear on year, resulting in a trade surplus of nearly 2.49 billion USD, reportedthe Vietnam Forestry Administration.

Key markets forVietnamese forestry products include the US, Japan, the EU, China and theRepublic of Korea, which together consume 87 percent of the products, it said.

Vietnamimported 210 million USD worth of wood and furniture in April and 790 millionUSD in the first four months of 2019, up about 15.1 percent year on year.

As many as 60percent of imported timber and furniture were from China, the US, Cambodia,Thailand, Malaysia, Chile, Germany, New Zealand and France.

Theadministration said that from April 1-18, 682 forestry law violation cases weredetected, a drop of 458 cases, or 40 percent, compared to April of 2018.  About 66 hectares of forest were damaged, ofwhich 48 hectares were chopped down and 18 burnt.

From thebeginning of this year, 3,151 violation cases have been uncovered, 25 percentlower than the same period last year, damaging 192 hectares of forest, down 58hectares year on year.

Meanwhile, asof April 18, 13.7 million young trees have been planted. It is estimated that46,000 hectares of new forest areas will be planted in the first four months,reaching 21 percent of the yearly target.

In April, about23,100 hectares of forest are likely to be exploited with output of 1.63million cubic metres, pushing total production in four months to about 6.23million cubic metres, up 4.4 percent year on year.

In the period,the country collected 755.24 billion VND (32.47 million USD) in forestenvironment service fees, 23.6 percent of the yearly target.-VNA