A Vietnamese booth at the exhibition (Photo: VNA) London (VNA) - Furniture products of six Vietnamese businesses weredisplayed at the January Furniture Show (JFS) 2023, the largest annual furniture show inthe UK, at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham from January 22-25.
The Vietnamese booths, featuring interior andexterior wooden and home décor products, handicrafts, hotel furniture, and lightingequipment, attracted many UK wholesalers and retailers, as well asvisitors.
Vietnamese Trade Counselor in the UK Nguyen Canh Cuong said the exhibition hasoffered a good opportunity for Vietnamese firms to introduce high qualityproducts and meet potential importers and distributors.
As the third largest furniture producer and exporter in the world, and thelargest in Southeast Asia, Vietnam boasts products meeting requirementsof the UK market, he said, stressing that Vietnam needs to actively attendfairs like JFS in order to seek and set up partnerships with British businesses.
Zoe Bonser, Retail Manager of NEC, said that with more than 15,000visitors, JFS gives a great chance to businesses, and those from Vietnam inparticular, to gain easier access to the UK market.
In 2022, Vietnam earned 239.66 million USD from exporting wood and wood products to the UK, accounting for nearly 4% of its total export value tothe European country.
According to the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK, the export of woodproducts and handicrafts to the UK sees a good prospect because thisis the world's fifth largest furniture market, and the second largest in Europewith a forecast annual growth of 3.2% for the 2021-2026 period. In particular,many wood products will enjoy a tax rate of 0% within the next five years inline with the UK – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA).
The Vietnam Timber & Forest Products Association (VIFORES) reported that the country’s furniture exports hit an estimated 16 billionUSD in 2022. The wood industry has set a target of earning 25 billion USD inexport value by 2030.
Held annually since 1990, JFS has introduced about 50,000 products of over 500national and international brands. This year's event attracted more than 22,000businesses./.
