Wood industry is one of the strongest economic sectors of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the fact that the coverage of imports by exports in this sector amounted to 397 % in the first quarter of this year, is the best proof for this statement.
At the session of the Assembly of the Association of wood industry and forestry of the Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH (FTC BiH) which was held yesterday in Sarajevo, were discussed achieved production and export performances in the last year and the first quarter of this year.
Export of wood industry of BiH in the first three months amounted to 264.6 million BAM, which is by 19.5 % more in comparison to the same period last year, while imports amounted to 66.6 million BAM.
The secretary of this association, Selma Basagic, said that the export of furniture makes 41 % from total exports, and that this participation is constantly increasing. The most important export markets are Germany, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, while the sawn timber is mostly exported to Egypt, China and countries from the region.
Basagic reminded that BiH wood industry in 2015 realized exports in the amount of one billion and 59 million BAM, which is by 5.7 % more than in the previous year. Within this, exports of products in the group of wood and wooden products amounted to 62.6 %, while exports of furniture and prefabricated wooden construction amounted to 36.2 %, which is more favorable in terms of exports of finished wood products than it was last year.
“We requested from the Council of Ministers of BiH to deal with the wood industry, as it dealt with the dairies and meat exporters, because this industry has potential and should be treated as a strategic sector,” said the President of the Association of wood industry and forestry of FTC BiH, Suhad Eco.
He emphasized the importance of measures for stimulation of exporters, with regard to great potential of BiH wood industry.
He said that there are many companies in this industry in BiH that recorded an increase, and that they must get support through favorable funds, as it was done in some banks where interest rates were reduced.
(Source: novovrijeme.ba)
