Vietnam is a country with a strong wood processing industry, estimated at around 1.3 million meter cubic of round and sawn timber per year. However, the domestic supply is not enough to meet the increasing demand of the Vietnamese market. Therefore, importing wood from Africa is considered one of the leading solutions. So what kind of African wood is imported the most to Vietnam? Let’s join K-TIMBER to find out in detail in the following article.
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Overview of the African Wood Import Market in Vietnam
Despite being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Africa remains one of the main suppliers of tropical timber to Vietnam. The volume of tropical timber imported from Africa to Vietnam accounts for about ¼ of the total volume of round and sawn timber imported by Vietnam in recent years.
Among them, there are about 20 African countries exporting roundwood to Vietnam, contributing 33% of the total imported roundwood volume. Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria are the top five African wood suppliers, accounting for 86% of the total volume of tropical timber imported in 2020.
Cameroon and Angola are the two largest tropical timber suppliers to Vietnam, contributing nearly 60% of the total timber imported from Africa and over 21% of the timber imported from all sources. On average, Vietnam imports more than 400,000 m3 of roundwood from Angola and Cameroon each year. The main types of wood are tali/lignum vitae (67%), sapele (12%) and mahogany (6%).
In particular, Ghana supplies about 50,000 m3/year, equivalent to 7% of the total import volume from Africa. However, in 2020, due to the impact of the epidemic, the total import volume decreased to 31,570 m3/year. Nigeria is also one of the largest suppliers of tropical roundwood to the Vietnamese market with 71,000 m3/year (2020) accounting for about 6-12% of the total roundwood imported from Africa.
For the Congo market, the average annual supply is about 20,000 m3, accounting for about 2-4% of the total wood volume imported by Vietnam from Africa. This shows that Africa is a large and sustainable source of African timber that can meet the demand for timber imports in the world in general and the Vietnamese market in particular.
6 Most Popular African Hardwood Species Imported to Vietnam
Below are the 6 most popular African hardwood species imported to Vietnam, compiled by K-TIMBER:
Pachyloba Wood
Pachyloba wood is one of the most exploited and imported woods from African countries. Pachyloba wood is commercially known as Doussie and scientifically named African Mahogany. Pachyloba wood is highly appreciated by many Vietnamese carpenters as a high-class African wood with beautiful and even grain, and is less susceptible to termites and mold. Pachyloba wood has high hardness and excellent load-bearing capacity.
Thanks to the above advantages, Pachyloba wood is increasingly popular in the Vietnamese market. This type of wood is used to produce many kinds of high-class furniture products that bring a more luxurious and classy living space.
In particular, K-TIMBER is one of the leading suppliers of high-quality Pachyloba wood in Africa. With the ability to supply up to 10,000m3/month of Pachyloba wood, K-TIMBER is confident that it has enough production capacity and manpower to meet all customer requirements.
Doussie Wood
Doussie wood is a type of wood with a beautiful orange-brown color. It is also one of the most popular woods imported into Asia, especially Vietnam. Doussie wood is hard and durable, and has good resistance to termites and water, making it an ideal choice for many applications in construction and interior decoration.
Among them, Doussie Wood Angola is highly appreciated for its superior quality with a bright orange-brown color and impressive interlaced wood grain patterns. That is why it is also the type of wood chosen to make high-class furniture and often has a higher price than Doussie Ghana wood of 40-50 USD. Doussie Ghana wood is often of poorer quality, with more lime and wood surface, so it is less popular in interior projects.
Sapele Wood
Sapele wood from Angola and Cameroon is also one of the high-value and highly appreciated wood species in the Vietnamese market. Sapele wood has a light red color and darkens over time. Sapele wood has few knots, a round and uniform trunk, easy to saw, large and clear wood grain. In Vietnam, Sapele wood is divided into 3 different types as follows:
- Sapele wood quality AB: beautiful wood, few knots, cracks no longer than 10%, recovery rate of 70% or more.
- Sapele wood quality BC: wood allows eyes, cracks, sapwood, dead worms, recovery rate of 50% or more.
- Sapele wood quality D: wood allows eyes, sapwood, cracks, dead worms, recovery rate of 30% or more.
At K-TIMBER, we supply Sapele wood imported from Angola with FAS wood standard. K-TIMBER commits that all wood orders meet the good wood ratio of up to 90% with the ability to supply up to 15,000 m3/month, ensuring that customers will always receive high quality and consistent products.
Okan Wood
African Okan wood is one of the finest hardwoods, renowned for its ability to withstand the harsh weather conditions common in Africa. Due to this superior characteristic, African Okan wood is not only favored by locals but also attracts the attention of the international market, with an import volume of round Okan wood reaching up to 250 thousand m3 per year.
In Vietnam, African Okan wood is used to make doors, stairs, and Iroko wooden floors because of its wood quality that does not warp, crack or deform due to weather effects, especially the weather changes in the North of Vietnam. Many Vietnamese customers highly appreciate the products made from Okan wood for its aesthetics and durability.
Takula Angola
Takula Angola belongs to group I in the precious wood group of Vietnam, it is a rare, beautiful, fragrant wood and brings high economic value. Takula wood has a strong smell, high termite resistance and the ability to adapt to harsh weather conditions.
Takula Angola wood has a reddish brown or blackish brown color, with beautiful interlaced black wood grain patterns, and the wood bark contains essential oils, which brings a beautiful shine. Takula wood is highly appreciated for its aesthetic value, both luxurious and classy.
In Vietnam, Takula wood is popularly used for home furniture such as tables and chairs, beds and wardrobes. Besides, Takula is also popularly used in spiritual works such as: carving statues, sculpting decorative paintings in pagodas and temples,…
Mussivi Wood
Mussivi wood is the last on the list of popular wood imports to Vietnam. African Mussivi wood belongs to group I of precious wood in Vietnam, with a red color, beautiful wood grain and a pleasant aroma.
Mussivi wood has high hardness, good bearing capacity, and is effective against termites and warping. Therefore, products made from Mussivi wood have a long life and are durable over time.
Thanks to its superior characteristics, Mussivi wood is widely used in the production of high-end furniture such as: tables and chairs, beds, TV shelves, partitions, etc. In addition, Mussivi wood is also used to make sophisticated handicrafts with high aesthetic value.
Mussivi wood belongs to the group of precious woods, so it has a relatively high price compared to ordinary woods. However, with its outstanding advantages in quality and aesthetics, Mussivi wood is still the top choice for those who love luxurious and classy furniture.
K-TIMBER – A Reputable and Quality Supplier of African Imported Wood
If you are looking for a reputable and quality supplier of African imported wood, K-TIMBER is the number 1 choice for many businesses and factories in Vietnam. Established in 1996, with branches in Vietnam and Angola, K-TIMBER always strives to bring customers quality wood products at the most competitive prices on the market.
With over 20 years of construction and development, K-TIMBER has become one of the top 10 African wood exporters in Africa with 100 employees, 5 factories scattered throughout Angola and an average annual output of up to 65,000m3.
At K-TIMBER, we supply a variety of high-quality African hardwoods such as Mussivi, Pachyloba, Doussie, Iroko, Eucalyptus, Sipo, …. according to FAS standards. We are committed to bringing customers a good wood ratio of up to 90%, no termites, warping, cracking at a price 20% cheaper than the market.
If you are looking for a quality African wood supplier, please contact K-TIMBER today at:
- ADDRESS VIET NAM (K-TIMBER): 169 Nguyen Ngoc Vu street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi.
- ADDRESS ANGOLA ( HATC WOOD AFRICAN): Av. Pedro de Castro Van-Dúnem Loy, Luanda, Angola.
- Phone: (+84) 833333914
- Email: [email protected]
