Author: Mai Tấn LợiVietnam is one of the world’s largest furniture exporters, supplying wooden indoor furniture, outdoor sets, upholstered seating, rattan and handicraft pieces to retailers, hospitality groups and e-commerce brands in the United States, Australia and Europe. For an importer, the product is only half the job. The other half is buying on the right terms, getting the compliance paperwork right for wood, and shipping it so that it arrives undamaged and clears customs without delay. This guide covers that second half, from the factory gate to your warehouse.
Where Vietnamese furniture is made
- The former Binh Duong province and Dong Nai: the largest concentration of export furniture factories, shipping through Cat Lai and the deep-water Cai Mep terminals. Since the July 2025 provincial merger, the former Binh Duong (Thu Dau Mot, Di An, Thuan An, Tan Uyen) is part of Ho Chi Minh City, so supplier addresses may show either name.
- Quy Nhon (formerly Binh Dinh province, now Gia Lai): long known for outdoor furniture.
- Hanoi and the north: furniture and handicraft producers shipping through Haiphong.
- Craft villages nationwide: rattan, bamboo, lacquerware and carved pieces, often consolidated in Ho Chi Minh City before export.
Where your supplier sits decides the export port and the trucking cost to it. Our overview of Vietnam’s main container ports explains the options.
Buying terms: FOB, FCA or CIF?
The Incoterm on your purchase order decides who books the ocean freight and where your risk begins:
| Term | Supplier’s job ends | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| FCA (factory or port) | When the container is handed to the carrier | Full containers stuffed at the factory; recommended by the ICC for containerized cargo |
| FOB (Cat Lai, Cai Mep or Haiphong) | When the goods are on board | You have your own forwarder and want to control freight |
| CIF / CIP (your port) | Supplier pays freight and insurance to your port, but risk still passes in Vietnam | You have no forwarder and want a delivered-to-port price |
| DAP / DDP (your warehouse) | At your door, with DDP including import duties | Rare for furniture; the supplier needs a US or Australian importer of record for DDP |
Always write the exact place and version, for example “FCA Supplier’s factory, Thu Dau Mot ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Incoterms® 2020”.
Quality control before the container is sealed
Once the container is sealed, fixing a problem means a claim, not a repair. Most importers book a pre-shipment inspection when production is about 80-100% complete, checking dimensions, finish, moisture content of solid wood, hardware, labeling and a sample of packed cartons. For repeat orders, a container loading check confirms the right quantities go in and are braced properly. Agree the inspection standard and the acceptable defect levels in the purchase contract.
Packing and container loading
- Knock-down (KD) or flat-pack where the design allows: it cuts volume, and ocean freight is priced by volume.
- Corner protection and moisture control: foam corners, edge guards, and desiccants or moisture-absorbing strips for solid wood crossing the tropics.
- Wooden crates and pallets must be ISPM 15 treated and marked, for both the US and Australia.
- Container choice: furniture fills space before weight, so a 40ft high cube usually gives the lowest cost per CBM for full orders. Plan on roughly 55-58 CBM loadable in a 40ft and 65-68 CBM in a 40ft high cube.
Use the CBM calculator with your carton list to see whether the order is an LCL or FCL shipment, and LCL vs FCL to compare the two.
US compliance for imported furniture
- Lacey Act declaration (PPQ 505): declare the genus and species and country of harvest of the wood. Since 1 January 2026 APHIS accepts it only electronically, through ACE or LAWGS.
- TSCA Title VI: composite wood (MDF, particleboard, hardwood plywood) in the furniture must meet the EPA formaldehyde emission standard, be labeled as compliant, and the importer certifies compliance at entry.
- STURDY Act: clothing storage units such as dressers and chests of drawers must meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission tip-over stability standard.
- ISF 10+2 before loading in Vietnam; see ISF filing.
- Duties: many wooden furniture items carry 0% normal duty plus 12.5% Section 301 on Vietnamese goods; specific upholstered wooden-frame seating and cabinet codes carry 25% Section 232 instead. Details and a worked example are in US tariffs on Vietnam goods in 2026.
Rules for specific products change; have your customs broker confirm HS codes and product requirements before you place the order.
Australian compliance for imported furniture
- Biosecurity: check the import conditions for timber and wooden articles in BICON. Solid wood may need a treatment certificate or will be inspected on arrival; bark and insect damage are common reasons for holds.
- BMSB season: goods made in and shipped directly from Vietnam are generally outside the mandatory brown marmorated stink bug measures, but LCL cargo sharing a container with goods from target countries can be caught. See shipping from Vietnam to Australia.
- Duty and GST: around 5% general duty on Chapter 94 furniture, 0% with a valid AANZFTA certificate of origin, plus 10% GST.
How the shipment moves
- Booking: confirm the Incoterm, the pickup address, cargo-ready date and volume. We reserve space on a sailing that matches.
- Documents: commercial invoice, packing list with carton dimensions, certificate of origin (for AANZFTA or other preferences), fumigation or ISPM 15 evidence, and wood species details for the Lacey Act.
- Stuffing and export clearance: the container is loaded at the factory (FCL) or cartons go to the CFS warehouse (LCL); we file the Vietnamese export declaration.
- Ocean transit: roughly 14-22 days to the US West Coast, 28-45 days to the East Coast, 18-35 days to Australian ports, port to port.
- Import clearance and delivery: your broker or our partner clears customs and biosecurity, then the container or cartons are delivered to your warehouse or venue.
Related
- Sea freight from Vietnam to the US and Australia
- Shipping from Vietnam to the USA by sea
- Shipping from Vietnam to Australia by sea
- Ship art and furniture from Vietnam (small pieces by air)
Get a sea freight quote with your supplier’s address and carton list, or message us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
Where is furniture made in Vietnam?
Most export furniture comes from the industrial belt around Ho Chi Minh City: the former Binh Duong province (part of Ho Chi Minh City since the July 2025 provincial merger) and Dong Nai, which ship through Cat Lai and Cai Mep. Quy Nhon, now in Gia Lai province, is known for outdoor furniture, and the Hanoi region and the north ship through Haiphong. Handicraft furniture, rattan and lacquerware come from craft villages across the country.
Should I buy furniture from Vietnam on FOB or FCA terms?
For full containers stuffed at the factory, FCA at the factory or FOB at Cat Lai are both common; the International Chamber of Commerce recommends FCA for containerized cargo, because risk passes when the container is handed to the carrier rather than when it is on board. If you have no forwarder, CIF or CIP puts the ocean freight on the supplier. Always name the exact place and the Incoterms version in the contract.
What US rules apply to imported wooden furniture?
Wooden furniture needs a Lacey Act declaration of the wood species and country of harvest, filed electronically since 1 January 2026. Products containing composite wood (MDF, particleboard, hardwood plywood) must meet the TSCA Title VI formaldehyde standard and be labeled accordingly. Clothing storage units such as dressers must meet the STURDY Act tip-over standard. Wooden pallets and crates must be ISPM 15 treated.
What duty does Vietnamese furniture pay in the US?
As of 23 September 2026, many wooden furniture items carry 0% normal duty but a 12.5% Section 301 duty on Vietnamese goods. Upholstered wooden-frame seating and kitchen or vanity cabinets under specific HTS codes carry 25% Section 232 duty instead. MPF and HMF fees are added on ocean entries.
What duty does Vietnamese furniture pay in Australia?
Furniture in tariff Chapter 94 generally carries around 5% general duty, but Vietnamese-origin goods with a valid AANZFTA certificate of origin enter at 0%. GST of 10% is charged on the customs value plus freight, insurance and duty, and wood products must meet the import conditions in BICON.
Should I ship furniture in a 40ft or a 40ft high cube container?
Furniture is light for its volume, so it usually fills the space before it reaches the weight limit. A 40ft high cube, about 76 CBM internal and roughly 65-68 CBM loadable in practice, gives the best cost per cubic meter for full orders. Smaller orders, under about 15 CBM, usually go LCL.
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