N SUMATRA'S WOOD EXPORTS DOWN

Medan, N Sumatra, Dec 27 (ANTARA) - North Sumatra's wood and wood product exports in the first ten months of 2009 fell 26.27 percent to US$149.310 million from the same period last year.

"Despite a rise in export value in the past few months, the total foreign exchange earnings from wood and wood product exports until October 2009 fell 26.27 percent from US$202.501 million in the same period last year," Head of the North Sumatra Statistics Office Alimuddin Sidabalok said on Sunday.

Wood and wood product exports in October 2009 jumped to US$18.067 million from US$10.787 million a month earlier, he said.

The drop in export value was caused not only by declining volume but also by low prices, he said.

"The drop was caused not only by the global crisis but also by wood shortages," he said.

The wood shortages were the result of declining production and tight control of wood felling, he said.

Hendra, executive director of the North Sumatra Chapter of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said the market for North Sumatra's wood and wood product exports was still good.

The drop in export value was merely caused by the global economic meltdown, he said.

North Sumatra's furniture was still in great demand in the United States, China and Australia, he said.