British Columbia promotes Canadian Wood in the Vietnam market

Canadian Wood Vietnam operates as a part of Forestry Innovation Investment (FII), a Crown agency under the jurisdiction of the British Columbia Government, with its headquarters in B.C., Canada. Canadian Wood's primary objective is to raise awareness regarding the benefits of utilizing wood products sourced from certified forests in British Columbia.

Utilizing Canadian wood from B.C. in interior manufacturing

Canadian wood from B.C. used in interior manufacturing

Mr. Vince Tran, Country Director at Canadian Wood, elaborated on their efforts, "From our office in Binh Duong, Canadian Wood Vietnam operates as a government organization with no commercial involvement in the Vietnamese market. Through promotional and educational programs, we connect suppliers and exporters from B.C. with Vietnamese buyers, wooden furniture manufacturers, and local stockists housing wood in their warehouses."

He further emphasized that "Canadian Wood Vietnam is not involved in economics or financial negotiations, with such dealings conducted directly between companies in B.C. and their Vietnamese counterparts. Canadian Wood Vietnam works to maintain and expand markets for B.C.’s forest products, positioning Canada and B.C. as global leaders in third-party certified, sustainably managed wood products."

Canadian Wood is steadfast in its goal of providing guidance, advice, and contributions to help expand the market for B.C. wood products, making high-quality wood sourced from B.C. more widely accessible in Vietnam, one of the world's leading manufacturing centers.

The Canadian Wood team actively implements a targeted market development program, focusing on key activities such as education (disseminating information, tools, and training to local importers and manufacturers regarding the utilization of Canadian wood species for various applications), promotion and outreach (creating awareness about Canadian wood products within the furniture manufacturing sector through channels like the Canadian Wood Vietnam website, educational seminars, advertisements, and participation in trade shows).

Canadian Wood's presence at VietnamWood 2023 Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City

Canadian Wood booth at VietnamWood 2023 Exhibition held recently in Ho Chi Minh City

During the recent VietnamWood Exhibition 2023 held in Ho Chi Minh City, Canadian Wood featured a booth dedicated to introducing and sharing information about softwood products sourced from B.C. Their booth served as a connection point between Vietnamese professionals and experts in the wood industry, furniture manufacturers, designers, and wholesalers, facilitating connections with leading B.C. suppliers.

The exhibition showcased a diverse range of Canadian wood species, including Western Hemlock, Spruce-Pine-Fir (S-P-F), Western Red Cedar, Yellow Cedar, and Douglas-fir. The design flexibility inherent to Canadian wood renders it suitable for an array of structural and aesthetic applications.

Western Hemlock, notable for its exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, excellent machining properties, and superior nail and screw holding capabilities, can be planed and sanded to achieve an even, smooth finish. Its natural, striking grain and carving qualities make it a popular choice among furniture manufacturers. Additionally, its non-resinous nature enables it to absorb a wide range of stains and polishes to achieve a lustrous finish.

S-P-F is emerging as another favoured option for furniture framing due to its lightweight nature, ease of handling, and exceptional working attributes. It excels in strength and stability and exhibits outstanding gluing and screw-holding properties. Thriving in diverse environments, from water-logged bogs to arid, sandy soils, S-P-F's utility lies in crafting solid doors, doorframes, furniture frames, modular housing, and various general industrial purposes such as packaging, crating, cable reels, and concrete forming.

Western Red Cedar, celebrated for its resistance to decay and termite infestations, and its dimensional stability, enjoys popularity both in outdoor furniture and interior finishing applications.

Yellow Cedar, distinguished by its exceptional durability and longevity, garners favour in furniture manufacturing and the construction of doors, door jambs, and window frames.

Douglas-fir, with its distinctive appearance, serves as a market differentiator. Valued for its robustness, workability, superior screw and nail holding properties, and adaptability to various stains, paints, and finishes, Douglas-Fir is a preferred wood choice for furniture manufacturing.

Mr. Peter Bradfield, Senior Technical Advisor at Canadian Wood, explained, "Among the prominent Canadian wood species showcased at the VietnamWood 2023 exhibition, softwood stands out. Canadian softwoods are sourced from sustainable, legal, and certified origins. Owing to their vibrant hues, affordability, and sustainability, softwoods are poised to gain traction within the Vietnamese market and will likely witness widespread adoption by Vietnamese manufacturers."

"Try Canadian Wood" program draws Vietnamese businesses at the exhibition

“Try Canadian Wood" program attracted Vietnamese businesses at VietnamWood Exhibition

At the exhibition, the "Try Canadian Wood" program was introduced to Vietnamese manufacturers, allowing them to experience and test Canadian softwood species. Vietnamese businesses, especially manufacturers in Vietnam, had the chance to work with small test volumes of B.C. softwoods, gaining firsthand experience of their features and benefits across various manufacturing applications. Technical staff from Canadian Wood closely collaborated with the Vietnamese manufacturers, acquainting them with the softwood species’ properties and offering guidance throughout the trial process.

Peter emphasized, "All five of these sustainably harvested Canadian wood species, promoted within Vietnam, contribute significantly to assisting Vietnamese wood fabricators in complying with the nation's Timber Legality Assurance System, which mandates sourcing wood products from legally logged forests. In response to this decree, Canada has earned its status as a trusted international supplier, recognised for its commitment to the legal and sustainable provision of forest products. Globally, Canada maintains nearly 35 percent of all certified forests, cementing its position as the largest such repository worldwide."

Mr. Vince Tran added, "For those unsure of where to begin, Canadian Wood's experts are readily available to identify the appropriate wood species and grade for specific applications. Furthermore, for stockists, traders, or importers, we can facilitate connections with the right Canadian wood suppliers to better serve their client base. I firmly believe that awareness of Canadian wood from B.C. is growing, and we are seeing more interest from manufacturers in Vietnam, especially as the global economy begins to show signs of recovery."