This information was presented at the seminar "Ho Chi Minh City's Wood and Furniture Export Industry - A Global Production and Export Hub," organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Handicraft and Wood Processing Association (HAWA) in collaboration with the Vietnam Wood and Forest Products Association (Viforest) and the Binh Duong Wood Association (BIFA) on October 23rd.
Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc presided over the seminar, along with leaders of various departments and agencies and more than 200 domestic and international businesses.
In his opening remarks at the seminar, Mr. Phung Quoc Man, Chairman of HAWA, affirmed that the Vietnamese wood industry is one of the most outstanding success stories of the export economy .
From a turnover of less than 200 million USD in 1999, Vietnam's wood industry is projected to reach 20 billion USD by 2025, rising to second place in the world for wood product exports, after China. Currently, there are more than 6,200 enterprises operating in the wood processing sector nationwide, creating jobs for half a million workers.
In particular, after the administrative boundary consolidation, Ho Chi Minh City accounts for nearly half of Vietnam's total wood export turnover. The city possesses a modern system of industrial parks, logistics centers, and seaports, creating conditions for the formation of a closed supply chain from raw materials and processing to export.
According to Mr. Man, with coordination between localities and associations, Ho Chi Minh City can become the "locomotive" leading Vietnam's wood industry further in the global value chain, not only as a production center but also as a center for design, innovation, and international connectivity.
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Liem - Vice Chairman of Viforest and Chairman of BIFA - emphasized that the Vietnamese wood industry is entering a period of strong transformation, where value comes not only from production volume but also from transparency, technology, and environmental responsibility.
Therefore, Mr. Liem proposed that Ho Chi Minh City should soon establish a Center for Supporting Green Transformation and Digitalization in the Wood Industry, where businesses can receive advice and access technologies suitable to their scale. At the same time, it is necessary to implement a "low-emission factory" model and a green wood industrial cluster with shared infrastructure, from dust and wastewater treatment to solar energy, helping small businesses also "green" at a reasonable cost.
Furthermore, investing in a green and smart logistics ecosystem is considered an urgent solution. When transportation infrastructure, warehousing, and inland ports are planned in a coordinated manner, businesses will reduce costs, enhance competitiveness, and meet the stringent requirements of major export markets.
From the business perspective, according to Mr. Le Duc Nghia, Chairman of the Board of Directors of An Cuong Wood Joint Stock Company, digital transformation is a key driver for improving productivity and transparency in management. Currently, the company has implemented the SAP S/4HANA system – a comprehensive digital transformation platform from Germany – which helps synchronize production, financial, and supply chain data, thereby increasing productivity by over 20% and reducing operating costs by 10%.
According to Mr. Nghia, businesses can only achieve international ESG standards (a set of standards for environment, social responsibility, and governance) when digital transformation goes hand in hand with green transformation. This is also a prerequisite for Vietnamese goods to maintain their position in high-end markets such as the EU and North America.
Based on the above situation, Mr. Nghia suggested that the State should soon build a national database for the wood industry, connecting data on traceability, raw material areas, and carbon management, in order to meet new regulations such as EUDR and CBAM currently being implemented in Europe.
At the seminar, experts argued that, with its industrial scale, logistics infrastructure, and abundant human resources, Ho Chi Minh City has the potential to become the furniture and interior design capital of Southeast Asia. Looking ahead to 2035, the city aims for 80% of its products to meet green standards, to form a smart industrial-logistics-commerce ecosystem, and to strongly develop the domestic market with an expected value of over US$30 billion per year, including furniture and decorative materials.
In his concluding remarks, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Nguyen Van Duoc affirmed that the city government will always stand alongside businesses through mechanisms to support investment, promote trade, train high-quality human resources, and develop green industrial infrastructure.
With its dual transformation strategy – connecting the three pillars of businesses, associations, and government – Ho Chi Minh City is moving closer to its goal of becoming a leading global center for the production, export, and innovation of wood and furniture, making a worthy contribution to Vietnam's position as "Vietnam's green manufacturing hub."
Regarding export markets, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, in the first nine months of 2025, Vietnam's exports of wood and wood products reached US$12.52 billion, with the four main markets being the US, the EU, Japan, and South Korea.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nganh-go-tp-ho-chi-minh-dinh-vi-thanh-trung-tam-san-xuat-xuat-khau-cua-the-gioi-720654.html
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