The 13th International Woodworking Industry Fair (VietnamWood 2019) and the International Exhibition on Woodworking Machinery and Equipment (Furnitec 2019) opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 18.

As the largest woodworking industry fair held in Vietnam, VietnamWood 2019 covers a total area of over 25,000 sq.m with nearly 500 exhibitors from 32 countries and territories globally taking part.

The fair attracted the participation of the American Hardwood Export Council, the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association of Germany, and brands from France, China and Canada.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA) Nguyen Quoc Khanh said Vietnam’s forestry export hit 7.08 billion USD in eight months of this year, up 18.6 percent annually, accounting for about 26.6 percent of agriculture sector’s total. Wood and wooden furniture shipments alone neared 6.66 billion USD.

In order to turn Vietnam into the world’s wood manufacturing centre with an export value of 20 billion USD by 2025, Khanh suggested using modern technology to improve product quality.

The VietnamWood 2019 and Furnitec 2019, last till September 21, will afford Vietnamese wood manufacturing and processing firms a chance to acquire new technologies and promote trade.

A series of seminars on wood production and processing will also attract domestic and foreign experts.