Business news

MINSK, 13 October (BelTA) - Belarus extended invitation to British companies to visit its woodworking enterprises during Timber Expo in Birmingham on October 10-12, BelTA learned from the press service of Bellesbumprom.

Belarus offered the UK Timber Trade Federation to organize a British timber business mission to Belarus. Representatives of British companies have been invited to visit a number of Belarusian enterprises, explore the range of products, quality and negotiate directly with Belarusian producers, and to meet with Belarusian government officials.

During Timber Expo the Belarusian participants established contacts with more than 50 representatives of the UK business community, arranged presentations of the country’s trading and investment opportunities in woodworking. With the assistance of the Timber Trade Federation the Belarusian delegation held a business matchmaking event for TTF members and other organizations concerned, including major network companies Buildbase and Saint Gobai, to discuss trade and economic cooperation.

The collective booth displayed the largest Belarusian exporters of woodworking goods and timber trade operators. The booth welcomed many visitors who showed an interest in the country, its industry, studied the samples and information materials and watched promo videos about Belarus and its woodworking enterprises.

Participants of the Belarusian exhibition and the organizations that provided assistance in organizing the national booth were welcomed by the Embassy of Belarus in the United Kingdom and the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Diplomas for active participation and professional presentation of products were awarded to Bellesbumprom Concern, the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Industry Enterprises, Ivatsevichdrev, Belarusian Forestry Company, Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange, Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus, Bellesexport, and Belzarubezhstroy. The awards were presented by Belarusian Ambassador to the UK Sergei Aleinik.

When welcoming the participants the Ambassador noted that it was a maiden industrial booth of Belarus at a UK trade show. The fact that it was the woodworking industry shows that the industry has been rapidly growing and actively working to diversify exports and develop new markets. “I am sure this experience will produce fruitful results and become a good example for other industries to follow,” Ambassador Sergei Aleinik said.

Belarus’ national booth at Timber Expo was organized under the patronage of Bellesbumprom Concern, the Belarusian Embassy in the UK, Belinterexpo and with the support of the Association of Furniture and Woodworking Industry Enterprises of Belarus.

Timber Expo is the UK’s largest timber show held as part of the country’s construction week that gathers about 650 exhibitors from different countries. The expo is visited by at least 30,000 people. The UK is an attractive and very promising market for Belarusian producers. In 2016, some $6.6 billion worth of timber goods were exported to the UK. The exports include timber products, fuelwood, plywood, furniture and other products.