Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 08 June 2009 – Sino-Forest Corporation (TSX: TRE) today announced that it has completed a public offering of 34,500,000 common shares at CAD 11.00 per share for gross proceeds of CAD 379,500,000. The offering included the exercise in full of the over-allotment option by the underwriters to purchase 4,500,000 common shares.

The offering was underwritten by a syndicate co-led by Credit Suisse Securities (Canada) Inc. and Dundee Securities Corporation, and included Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., Scotia Capital Inc. and TD Securities Inc. In addition to the offering in Canada, a portion of the offering was sold on a private placement basis in the United States, Asia, and elsewhere. 

"China continues to be one of the world’s fastest growing economies, with increasing domestic consumption and development, which are driving strong demand for wood fiber," said Allen Chan, Sino-Forest chairman and CEO. "The proceeds from this offering will allow us to seize an attractive opportunity and expand our timber holdings in Jiangxi, subject to signing our new master agreement."

Chan added, "We view the previous increase in the size of our share offering and the full exercise of the over-allotment option for a total offering of approximately CAD 380 million as evidence of the recognition and confidence that our shareholders and other investors have in our proven track record and our ability to negotiate fiber purchase agreements in the right places at the right times with favourable terms."

Sino-Forest Corporation is a leading commercial forest plantation operator in China. Its principal businesses include the ownership and management of forest plantation trees, the sale of standing timber and wood logs, and the complementary manufacturing of downstream engineered-wood products. The company’s common shares have traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TRE since 1995.