Myanmar to participate in Shanghai furniture fair .

 Myanmar's handicraft companies will participate in a furniture fair to be held in China's Shanghai early September to penetrate new international markets, a local weekly reported Monday.

Five companies will mainly display furniture, rattan, plastic rattan and traditional handicraft at the fair scheduled from September 9 to 12, the Weekly Eleven said in this week issue.

In March last year, the Myanmar Furniture Fair 2008 was held in the city in a bid to introduce the country's value-added good-quality forest products to the world market and boost timber export.

A total of 44 private wood-based products industries and value-added manufacturing companies, displayed various pieces of furniture, finished wood-based products, rattan and bamboo wares as well as wood-made home decoration items.
Myanmar held its first furniture show in 2004 and the second in2006.

In its bid to develop the wood-based industry, Myanmar has been 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.
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.


Source : news.xinhuanet.com