Despite unprecedented challenges from global markets and the growing impacts of climate change, 2025 marked a historic milestone for Vietnam’s wood industry as export turnover of timber and wood products surpassed 17 billion USD for the first time.

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According to data from Vietnam Customs, exports of timber and wood products reached nearly 1.7 billion USD in December 2025 alone, bringing total export value for the year to 17.2 billion USD – an increase of nearly 6% compared with 2024.

In 2025, exports of timber and wood products to the US totalled 9.46 billion USD, up 4.4% year on year and accounting for approximately 55% of the industry’s total export turnover. Vietnam continued to maintain its position as the largest supplier of wooden furniture to the US market.

Meanwhile, imports from China declined sharply to 1.4 billion USD, down 36% compared with the previous year.

Vietnam’s market share of wooden furniture in the US increased significantly, rising from 40.5% in the first eight months of 2024 to 45.3% in the same period of 2025. In contrast, the shar in China fell from 15.7% to 10.4%.

This widening gap underscores Vietnam’s strengthening position as the leading supplier to the US market.

Meanwhile exports to Japan recorded robust growth of over 23% in 2025, reaching more than 2.1 billion USD. This marked the first time exports to Japan exceeded 2 billion USD, allowing Japan to surpass China and become the second-largest market for Vietnam’s wood industry.

Although exports to China slipped to third place, they still grew modestly, reaching nearly 2.1 billion USD. This was the second consecutive year exports to China exceeded 2 billion USD.

Collectively, the three billion-dollar markets – the US, Japan and China – accounted for nearly 80% of Vietnam’s total wood and wood product exports in 2025.

Other markets were considerably smaller in scale, including the Republic of Korea with 709 million USD, Canada with 288 million USD and the UK with 244 million USD.

In terms of product structure, wooden furniture remained the backbone of the industry’s exports. According to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, exports of wooden furniture reached 9.4 billion USD in the first 11 months of 2025, accounting for nearly 61% of total export value.

Several other product categories also recorded export values of over 1 billion USD, including wood chips at 2.2 billion USD; timber, boards and flooring at 2.1 billion USD; and wood pellets at 1.1 billion USD.

Phung Quoc Man, chairman of the HCM City Handicraft and Wood Industry Association, noted that 2025 presented unprecedented challenges for the industry.

These included reciprocal tax policies, anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations from the US and mounting pressure from the European Union’s upcoming Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products, as well as frequent natural disasters and floods at home that disrupted raw material supply chains and production.

Nevertheless, the industry managed to sustain export growth despite these strong headwinds, demonstrating the increasing adaptability and resilience of Vietnamese wood enterprises amid global market volatility.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, exports of wood and forestry products reached 18.5 billion USD in 2025, up approximately 6.6% from 2024, generating a trade surplus of nearly 14.9 billion USD. The growth rate of forestry production value reached up to 5.8%, fulfilling around 103% of the annual target.

Forest coverage remained stable at 42%, while violations of forestry regulations declined by 13.8%. Areas affected by forest fires and other damage both fell by more than 10% year on year, reflecting tangible improvements in forest management, protection and development.

Looking ahead to 2026, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri said that the forestry sector aimed to maintain forest coverage at around 42% and achieve forestry export turnover of about 18.5 billion USD.

Key priorities would include expanding large-timber forests, promoting the application of science and technology, advancing digital transformation and strengthening trade promotion.

Future efforts would focus on diversifying export markets to reduce dependence on key destinations, building the “Vietnam Wood” brand and developing forest environmental services and carbon markets.

Building on the strong foundation established in 2025, Vietnam’s forestry and wood industries were expected to further enhance added value in international markets, move toward sustainable development, improve forest-based economic efficiency and make an increasingly significant contribution to the country’s green growth target.

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