The 14th Vietnam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair (VIFA EXPO) opened in HCM City on March 8.

Of 612 exhibitors, more than 140 are from 17 foreign countries and territories including the US, UK, Germany, mainland China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand.

The fair features 2,410 booths displaying a wide range of indoor and outdoor furniture, handicrafts, gifts and souvenirs, wood materials, and woodworking machinery and accessories.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dang Quoc Hung, director of Lien Minh Joint Stock Company, the organiser, said many wooden products businesses have seen a sharp drop in export orders because of high inflation in many countries, which has forced consumers to tighten their belts.

So, to help connect wood and handicrafts enterprises with potential partners, the organiser have promoted the fair in both traditional and new markets for Viet Nam, including the US, UK, and countries in Southeast and Northeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America, he said.

It has received 4,118 registrations from international buyers and visitors to visit the event, he added.

The fair also includes side events such as seminars on cross-border e-commerce, sustainable timber from Sweden and global furniture export-import outlook in 2023, business matching and factory visits.

Lien Minh Company also launches VIFA EXPO Online Platform at www.vifaexpo.com.

Hung said the exhibition is rated among the world’s top 10 in the furniture industry and has contributed greatly to the promotion of the Vietnamese wood furniture industry.

Held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, the fair will go on until March 11. — VNS