Vietnam businesses attend January Furniture Show in UK

The Vietnam Pavilion at the January Furniture Show in UK from January 22-25. (Photo: VNA)

They introduced interior and exterior wood products, home décor, handicrafts, hotel furniture; and lighting equipment, attracting many UK wholesalers and retailers as well as exhibition visitors.

Nguyen Canh Cuong, Vietnamese Trade Counselor in the UK, said that joining the fair created opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to introduce high-quality products and meet potential importers and distributors.

Cuong pointed to the fact that currently the largest wood furniture exporter to the UK is China, followed by Germany and Poland. However, he said a lot of the furniture exported from Germany and Poland to the UK is of Vietnamese origin.

According to the trade official, as Vietnam is the third largest furniture producer and exporter in the world and the largest in Southeast Asia, its products can meet the requirements of the British market. He suggested Vietnam actively attend fairs like January Furniture Show to seek and establish partnerships and expand market share in the UK, instead of just focusing on trade promotion in Germany or Poland.

Furniture and fine art products are Vietnam’s key export items to the UK. 2022 alone saw Vietnam’s exports of wood and wood products to the UK reach US$239.66 million, accounting for nearly 4% of the total export value to this country.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK, the export of wood products and handicrafts to the UK has good prospects because this is the world’s fifth largest furniture market after the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Germany. In particular, many wood products will have a tax rate of 0% within the next five years under the terms of the UK – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement./.