HCM CITY — Nearly 90 local and foreign companies are showcasing their products at the eighth Việt Nam Furniture and Furnishing Fair that opened in HCM City on November 23.

On display at its 487 booths are outdoor and indoor furniture, handicrafts and home decor, household appliances, garden decor, gifts and souvenirs.

Also available is consultancy on equipment, materials, designs and architecture.

Many exhibitors are offering attractive discounts on export-quality furniture and interior and exterior furnishing items.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Quốc Khanh, chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (Hawa), said the wood products on display are all made from legal timber.

“VIFA Home 2017 is expected to bring satisfaction for both businesses and visitors,” he said, adding “The fair would be a good place for Vietnamese firms in woodworking and interior decoration to promote their brands in the domestic market.”

Nguyễn Phương Đông, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, said “The fair would help connect woodworking and interior decoration firms in the Southern Key Economic Zone and help create a complete value chain from production to distribution.”

According to statistics from the General Department of Việt Nam Customs, Việt Nam earned US$6.2 billion from wood and wooden product exports in the first 10 months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 11.2 per cent. Wood products alone fetched $4.6 billion, a 12.9 per cent rise.

Đông said “Steady economic growth has pushed up the development of the domestic furniture market, and consumption is expected to reach $2 billion this year.”

The expo, organised jointly by Hawa and Hawa Corporation at the Phú Thọ Sports Centre in District 11, closes on November 26. — VNS