HCM CITY — A wide range of indoor and outdoor furniture, handicrafts, and interior furnishing and accessories are on display at the 2017 Việt Nam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair (VIFA-EXPO 2017) that opened in HCM City on Wednesday.

This year the number of exhibitors has increased by 23 per cent to 313 and the number of booths by 24 per cent to 1,532, Nguyễn Quốc Khanh, chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (Hawa), said.

Vietnamese and overseas firms based here account for a third of the exhibitors while the rest are foreign.

The number of foreign firms has gone up by 72 per cent. They are from 14 countries and territories, including Singapore, Taiwan, the US, Australia, Canada, China, and Italy, and have brought 100 brands, he said.

To serve international visitors, expected to number 4,500, the association has turned to the HCM City Tourism Association for assistance with hotels, transport, visas, travel, and other arrangements, Khanh said.

Inaugurating the event, Bùi Huy Sơn, head of the Việt Nam Trade Promotion Agency, said despite intense competition and trade barriers Việt Nam’s wood and wood product exports last year topped US$7 billion to remain among the country’s top 10 export items.

This was made possible by enterprises improving their production capacity and design and product quality as well as effective support from business groups and trade promotion agencies.

The fair offers an opportunity for trade promotion by bringing local and international companies together, he said.

A seminar on technical standards for wood glue quality was held on the opening day.

Organised by the city Department of Industry and Trade, Hawa, and Hawa Corporation, the fair at the Sài Gòn Exhibition and Convention Centre will go on until March 11. — VNS