This year's event, to last until October 15, brought together 300 exhibitors from 23 countries who will show their products and services in an exhibition area of 20,000 square metres.
"Croatia is very rich in wood, with a wood-processing industry that accounts for about 10% of the country's total exports and 3% of imports. The wood-processing industry has huge potential to put more emphasis on processing, on furniture making, on quality, design and new ideas. I would like unprocessed material to account for the smallest possible portion of our wood exports," Plenkovic said at the opening of the fair.
He noted that Croatia exported most of its wood products to Italy, Austria and Germany and recalled that his government in April this year adopted a strategy for wood processing and furniture production for the period from 2017 and 2020.
Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) president Luka Burilovic said the national wood-processing industry employed 20,000 workers and that 68% of its output was exported.
Last year's foreign trade surplus in the wood-processing industry was EUR 527 million, and in the first six months of this year it was EUR 250 million, said Burilovic.