Vietnam boasts a robust wood processing and wooden furniture export industry; however, the output from domestically planted forest wood remains insufficient to meet demand, according to the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association (VIFOREST).

As a result, Vietnam imports a substantial volume of raw wood materials annually to support its wood processing sector.

In 2024, Vietnam's wood and wood product imports totaled $2.81 billion, with raw wood materials accounting for nearly $2.4 billion, or 85.2% of the total.

"In 2024, Vietnam imported $316.36 million worth of raw wood materials from the US market, an increase of 32.9% compared to 2023, accounting for 11.2% of total imported wood materials. The three primary items—sawn wood, round wood, and veneer—contributed $311.96 million to the total import turnover from the US, representing 98.6% of the timber imports from the US," stated Mr. Ngo Sy Hoai, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of VIFOREST.

Within the import structure, round wood and sawn wood continued to dominate, making up more than 50% of the wood industry's import value.

In 2024, Vietnam imported over 1.83 million cubic meters of round wood. Of this, imports from the US exceeded 303,300 cubic meters, worth $89.9 million, reflecting an increase of 41.4% in volume and 51.6% in value compared to 2023. The US remained the largest supplier of round wood to Vietnam, accounting for 16.5% of Vietnam's total round wood imports.

Additionally, the US was the leading supplier of sawn wood, providing 428,980 cubic meters worth over $215.3 million, up 20.8% in volume and 29.6% in value compared to 2023.

In the first quarter of 2025, the export value of wood and wood products reached $3.95 billion, an 11.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.