VN, New Zealand enhance co-operation in timber trade, weather intelligence

Representatives from Sequal Holdings Limited and VinaFor Saigon JSC pose for a photo after signing a distribution agreement on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of CHI Communications

HÀ NỘI – Sequal Holdings Limited from New Zealand will supply Radiata pine wood to VinaFor Saigon JSC in order to help the company’s manufacturing facilities reduce waste and inventory build-up.

This consensus followed a distribution agreement inked between the two companies in Hà Nội on Wednesday.  

Tô Ngọc Ngời, General Director of VinaFor Saigon, said his company had imported New Zealand Radiata pine since 2001. For over 19 years, this species had provided a sustainable and reliable source of timber for Vietnamese furniture manufacturers.

This agreement also aimed to improve market awareness of sourcing legal wood to take advantage of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Ngời said.

He added the Radiata pine wood his company planned to import from Sequal Holdings Limited will be used at the company’s manufacturing facilities and will also provided to others in HCM City. Ngời did not disclose the value of the deal.

Rhys Arrowsmith, Sequal Holdings Limited’s Head of Sales and Marketing Asia said, the agreement represented an important milestone by providing 100 per cent Forest Sustainability Council certified wood to help partners grow their businesses sustainably.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Memorandum of Understanding was also inked between the Meteorological Service of New Zealand (MetraWeather) and Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Technology Applications under the Việt Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration.

Delegates watch a weather screen at the Việt Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. Photo courtesy of CHI Communications

The MoU provides a foundation for both sides to work more closely on providing timely weather-related information for broadcast and online applications in Việt Nam, ensuring rapid updates and timely warnings. This partnership will bring MetraWeather’s advanced solutions to local broadcasters in Việt Nam and provide more accurate forecasting and severe weather warning information.

“This partnership is a great example of the practical application of New Zealand growing and a dynamic high technology sector. I look forward to seeing the benefits that New Zealand’s innovative weather information technology will provide to key sectors in Việt Nam including the agriculture, marine and aviation sectors,” said the New Zealand Ambassador to Việt Nam Wendy Matthews. VNS