Vietnam is emerging as a key importer of Uruguay’s forest products, according to statistics by the Association of Forestry Producers of Uruguay.

Vietnam ranked fourth among importers of sawn timber with the value making up 9 percent of the South American country’s sawn timber export earning in the first six months of the year, after the US with 27%; Spain, 17%; and Belgium, 11 percent.

Meanwhile, Vietnam took the lead in importing sandal-wood for making paper pulp.

By the end of June, Uruguay earned US$450 million from forest exports, an increase of 40 percent as compared with the same period last year, according to the association.