Positive signals for Vietnam's wood industry in 2026: Both wood and wooden product exports grow strongly

Entering 2026, Vietnam’s wood and wood product exports continued to show encouraging signs of recovery, with total export value surpassing USD 7 billion in just the first five months of the year.

Overview Of Vietnam’s Wood Export Performance In The First Five Months Of 2026

According to a report released by the Agency of Foreign Trade and the Vietnam Industry and Trade Information Center under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, based on data from the General Department of Customs, Vietnam’s wood industry achieved notable results during the first five months of 2026.

Specifically, the country's total export value of wood and wood products reached USD 7.02 billion, representing a 2.9% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

This is a highly positive signal, demonstrating that Vietnamese manufacturers have maintained strong production capacity and resilient supply chains despite ongoing challenges in the global economy.

A closer look at the export structure, however, reveals some variations among product categories. Of the total USD 7.02 billion, wood products—including furniture, handicrafts, and value-added processed wood products—accounted for approximately USD 4.5 billion.

When order volumes increase, pallets and packaging solutions also become an aspect that needs early control. Businesses can refer to how to classify and select export pallets for each shipment before finalizing the container loading plan.

Although this segment continued to represent the largest share of exports, its export value declined slightly by 3.5% compared to the same period in 2025.

In May 2026 alone, Vietnam exported approximately USD 1.4 billion worth of wood and wood products. While this figure was slightly lower than that of April, it remained 1.1% higher than in May 2025.

The United States Remains Vietnam’s Largest Export Market

The United States continued to be the largest destination for Vietnamese wood products. During the first five months of 2026, exports to the U.S. reached approximately USD 3.48 billion, accounting for nearly half of the industry's total export value.

Despite high interest rates, a slowing housing market, and cautious consumer spending in the United States, Vietnam has maintained a strong competitive position in the wooden furniture sector.

According to industry statistics, Vietnam remained the largest supplier of wooden furniture to the U.S. market. Its market share increased from 44.5% in 2025 to 47.4% during the first four months of 2026.

Several major product categories continued to hold dominant market shares, including:

• Wooden-framed chairs, accounting for approximately 58% of the U.S. market.
• Wooden bedroom furniture, accounting for approximately 56.6% of the market.

These figures show that the competitive capacity of Vietnamese enterprises is still maintained thanks to product quality, large-scale production capacity, and the ability to meet the requirements of international importers. The ability to comply lies not only in product quality but also in the accompanying pallets, crates, and dunnage materials. For shipments using natural wood, businesses need to check the ISPM 15 standard for export wooden pallets and crates.

Nevertheless, the industry should closely monitor developments in the U.S. market, as Vietnam's market share has shown signs of decline in certain product categories, including kitchen and office furniture. This reflects changing consumer demand as well as increasing competition from other exporting countries.

See more: ISPM 15 Mark – The Small Detail That Can Determine Whether An Entire Wood Export Shipment Clears Customs

China Emerges As A New Growth Driver

Alongside the United States, China became the fastest-growing export market for Vietnam's wood industry during the first months of 2026.

Exports of wood and wood products to China reached approximately USD 1.05 billion, representing an impressive 49% year-on-year increase, making it one of the strongest-performing export destinations.

The recovery of China's manufacturing sector, rising demand for imported timber, and increased consumption of wood products all contributed to this remarkable growth.

China's expanding imports not only created additional opportunities for Vietnamese exporters but also helped diversify export markets as growth in the U.S. market began to moderate.

The European Market Continues To Recover

Beyond China, the European Union (EU) also showed encouraging signs of recovery after a period of slower growth.

Demand for wooden furniture has gradually improved across several EU member states, particularly in the Netherlands and Germany.

Notably:

• Exports to the Netherlands increased by 114.1%.
• Exports to Germany grew by 42.3%.

Many other European markets also recorded positive growth, supported by recovering demand from the furniture retail and construction sectors.

The continued effective implementation of EVFTA helps Vietnamese businesses make better use of tariff preferences, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese wood products in the European market. When using natural wood pallets or crates, businesses need to determine an appropriate treatment method before loading goods. The two commonly applied methods are fumigation with Methyl Bromide and Heat Treatment (HT) under ISPM 15.

Japan, The United Kingdom, Canada And Malaysia Maintain Positive Growth

In addition to major markets, several traditional export destinations also continued to post positive growth.

Japan remained an important market for Vietnam's wood industry, with stable demand for wooden furniture and construction materials.

Meanwhile, the UK, Canada, and Malaysia all recorded positive growth, contributing to the diversification of export markets and reducing dependence on a few major partners. Conversely, exports to South Korea decreased by about 16.5% as the real estate and construction markets in this country have not yet recovered as expected. This highlights a clear divergence among import markets in 2026.

Outlook For Vietnam’s Wood Exports In The Second Half Of 2026

Industry experts expect Vietnam's wood and wood product exports to continue growing during the second half of 2026, although the pace of growth is likely to slow compared with the first half of the year.

One key reason is that consumer demand in the United States is not expected to recover significantly due to high interest rates and financial pressures. At the same time, uncertainties in the global economy continue to pose risks to international trade.

Despite these challenges, the overall outlook for the industry remains positive, supported by several growth drivers.

First, import demand from China, Japan, and European Union member states is expected to continue improving, creating additional opportunities for Vietnamese exporters to expand into these markets.

Second, maximizing the benefits of major free trade agreements such as EVFTA, CPTPP, and RCEP will help Vietnamese products maintain tariff advantages while improving access to new international markets.

Third, the supply chain diversification trend among many international importers continues to create favorable conditions for Vietnam to increase its market share in key markets. As the number of markets and shipment schedules grow, discrepancies between container details, treatment schedules, and documentation are also more likely to occur. Businesses should review in advance common mistakes when fumigating export goods.

Together, these factors are expected to offset part of the slowdown in the U.S. market, allowing Vietnam's wood industry to maintain stable growth throughout the remainder of 2026.

Businesses Need To Adapt Proactively To Market Trends

As export markets continue to evolve, Vietnamese wood processing and exporting enterprises should further strengthen their competitiveness by diversifying export destinations, investing in product quality, and complying with the specific requirements of each target market.

In addition to technical standards, businesses also need to evaluate implementation capacity, loading schedule coordination ability, documentation quality, and operational data. These are criteria for selecting an export cargo fumigation provider that should be checked prior to signing a cooperation agreement.

In addition to market expansion, businesses should closely monitor changes in trade policies, consumer trends, and technical regulations in different countries to develop appropriate production and export strategies.

Making full use of free trade agreements, developing higher value-added products, and improving supply chain management will remain key factors in maintaining the long-term competitiveness of Vietnam's wood industry.

Surpassing USD 7 billion in wood and wood product exports within the first five months of 2026 is an encouraging milestone for the industry. The achievement reflects the resilience of Vietnamese businesses amid global market fluctuations and demonstrates the effectiveness of the country's export market diversification strategy.

Although export growth is expected to moderate in the second half of the year, increasing demand from China, Japan, and the European Union, together with effective utilization of trade agreements such as EVFTA, CPTPP, and RCEP, is expected to support the industry's continued growth and reinforce Vietnam's position in the global wood export market.

Read more: Export wooden pallets: ISPM 15 standards that businesses need to know