HCM CITY ( WNAM MONITORING): HCM City is poised to become one of the world’s leading hubs for wood and furniture production and export as the global market enters a recovery cycle and demand for green, sustainable products continues to rise, speakers said at a seminar in the city on October 23.
The event, titled “HCM City’s Wood and Furniture Export Industry – A Global Manufacturing and Export Hub,” was jointly organised by the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (HAWA), the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association (Viforest), and the Bình Dương Furniture Association (BIFA).
Speaking at the event, Phùng Quốc Mẫn, chairman of HAWA, said Việt Nam’s wood industry has achieved remarkable progress over the past two decades, growing from less than US$200 million in export value in 1999 to an expected $20 billion by 2025. Việt Nam is now the world’s second-largest exporter of wooden furniture, just behind China.
“The industry has built a relatively complete supply chain, from raw materials and production to distribution, creating a strong global competitive advantage,” he said.
Following the recent administrative merger, HCM City now accounts for nearly half of the country’s total wood export revenue and has developed an integrated supply chain covering production, processing, logistics, and seaports.This forms a solid foundation for the city to position itself as a regional manufacturing hub, Mẫn added.
HAWA and BIFA are merging, expanding HAWA’s membership to nearly 1,000 enterprises, about 70 per cent of which are producers and exporters. The new HAWA will work closely with both government and industry to ensure stable production, sustainable growth, and global market expansion, aiming to make HCM City a hub of the world’s wood and furniture industry.
