‘Sell locally,’ furniture makers told

Vietnamese furniture manufacturers and exporters, who are thought to ignore the domestic market, will get the opportunity to set that right following a trade fair to be held in HCM City in November.

The fair will enable them to shift to the domestic market which has been inundated by imported furniture, according to the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (HAWA), the organiser of the Vifa Home Fair.

Nguyen Ba Tuan, HAWA director, said on Saturday that the local market was promising, considering the country’s population of around 86 million.

Nguyen Chien Thang, its chairman, said with their comp-etitiveness added to the low cost of transport and thorough understanding of the taste of local consumers, Vietnamese furniture makers could overhaul foreign rivals.

Viet Nam is one of the world’s top furniture exporters with annual exports of around US$3 billion but the industry has neglected the home market, he said.

As for the Vietnamese furniture market, local products account for just 20 per cent of it with imports from Malaysia, Taiwan, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Thailand, worth hundreds of millions of dollar, making up the rest.

Vifa Home will play a key role in bringing together suppliers and consumers, Tuan said.

HCM City will also host two annual international fairs for furniture and handicrafts – Vifa Fair and HCM City Expo. Their focus is on enhancing links between local producers and foreign importers.

Vifa Home will be held from November 18 to 22 at the Tan Binh Exhibition and Convention Centre in Tan Binh District and have around 350 stalls. — VNS

Tags: Vietnam Furniture makers