VNForest released the figure at a meeting to review its performance in 2017 and set tasks for 2018 in Hanoi on December 27.

The US, China and Japan were the biggest buyers of Vietnamese timber and wood products, accounting for over 70 percent of the total shipments of these commodities.

Vietnam also posted a record surplus of nearly 5.8 billion USD in the trade of forestry products this year, the administration noted, adding that the forestry sector’s production value increased by about 6.6 percent.

VNForest said the development of the wood and forestry product market created favourable conditions for processing and export of wood and non-wood forestry products.

In 2017, the country’s forest coverage reached 41.45 percent. More than 235,000ha of concentrated forest and 15,200ha of protection and special-use forest were planted.

Meanwhile, forest protection and forest fire prevention and fighting have reaped encouraging outcomes. More than 16,530 violation cases were uncovered and 1,451ha of forest was found damaged, respectively declining 23 percent and 68 percent from last year.

In 2018, the forestry sector targets nationwide forest coverage of 41.6 percent, a 5.5-6 percent increase in its production value, and timber and forestry product exports of 7.9-8 billion USD.

It plans to step up forest protection and fire prevention and control while planting 195,000ha of forest.