At the Towards HawaExpo 2026 seminar held on January 21, Phung Quoc Man, chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (Hawa) said Vietnam’s wood and wood product exports reached more than $17.2 billion in 2025, up almost 5.7 per cent compared to 2024.

Photo: Ministry of Agriculture and Environment

Although the figure did not meet the industry’s $18 billion target, Man noted that the outcome reflected considerable efforts by the sector, particularly amid the volatility of 2025, which was marked by changes in US tariff policies.

Notably, despite tariff measures, the US continued to be Vietnam’s largest importer of wood products over the past year.

“The US market accounted for 54.65 per cent of the industry’s total export value, equivalent to nearly $9.5 billion,” Man said. “Following the US, Japan, China, and South Korea were the next largest importers of Vietnam’s wood and wood products.”

Data from the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment show that Vietnam’s wood and wood product exports have continued to consolidate the country’s position among the world’s top five exporters.

In the segment of deeply processed wood products alone, with export turnover of $11.7 billion, Vietnam ranked second globally, behind only China.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Department of Forestry and Forest Protection warned that the wood industry may face challenges on multiple fronts. These include rising trade barriers and an increase in trade defence and anti-dumping investigations from the US, volatile logistics costs due to global geopolitical uncertainties, and mounting pressure to secure certified plantation timber to meet stricter import regulations in key markets.

For 2026, Hawa expects the industry’s export turnover to reach as much as $19 billion.

“To achieve this goal, the sector needs to deepen its presence in markets that have already been opened, such as the Middle East and India. At the same time, wood enterprises must step up investment in technology to enhance competitiveness and reduce costs compared with regional and global peers,” chairman of Hawa noted.