The HCMC wood industry has entered a new phase after the Binh Duong Furniture Association (BIFA) merged into the HCMC Handicraft and Wood Industry Association (HAWA). Along with the expansion of HCMC’s development space after the administrative merger, HAWA has become the largest wood industry association in Vietnam with nearly 1,000 corporate members. The size is impressive, but is the association strong enough to have a voice in the global supply chain? Leveraging the regional advantage The wood industry in the southeastern region now has a relatively clear regional structure for the first time. Binh Duong serves as the production center, HCMC plays the role of the commercial, financial, and innovative hub, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau functions as the logistics gateway and seaport. Phung Quoc Man, chairman of HAWA, said the merger was an inevitable step to maximize regional advantages. “After the merger, HCMC accounts for nearly 50% of Vietnam’s timber and wood product exports. This provides an important foundation for the wood industry to position itself as a regional hub, but it also requires a higher level of management,” Man said. In terms of scale, the city’s wood industry has moved beyond being merely “big enough” to exert influence […]