Canadian softwoods bridging sustainability and compliance with Vietnam’s Timber Legality Assurance System

Vietnam ranks second in Asia and fifth in the world for the value of its timber product exports, which the Vietnamese government aims to increase to US$20 billion next year.

The country imports around 2.5 million cubic meters of timber from more than 100 countries each year.

According to Vince Tran, Country Director of Canadian Wood Vietnam, responsible sourcing is important for the credibility of the Vietnamese timber manufacturing sector and critical to tackling environmentally harmful, unsustainable logging practices worldwide. Therefore, responsible sourcing also makes good business sense.

Canadian softwood is committed to legal sourcing and adheres to strict forestry regulations. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood

For example, the global eco-friendly furniture market size was valued at US$43.26 billion and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 9% from 2022-2030.

That is the thinking behind the nation’s Timber Legality Assurance System, an enforcement framework designed to clamp down on any illegal domestic or imported sources of wood.

The system requires all operators in Vietnam to exercise due diligence on their products to guarantee that the timber is harvested, processed, and traded legally.

Fortunately, sustainably-harvested, legally-sourced Canadian softwoods can help Vietnamese wood fabricators meet Vietnam’s Timber Legality Assurance System, which requires manufacturers to source wood products from legally logged forests.

In response to this decree, Canada has been identified as a trusted international supplier and recognized as a legal and sustainable provider of forest products.

“Canada is well-respected for world-class sustainable forest management practices. Any wood imported from Canada comes with an assurance that it is legally sourced and complies with strict forest legislation,” says Tran.

Canadian softwood is committed to legal sourcing and adheres to strict forestry regulations. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood

Canada’s most western province, British Columbia (B.C.), is the nation’s largest source of sustainably harvested wood.

It practices sustainable forestry, with some of the most comprehensive practices in the world, according to a comparative study by the University of B.C.

Roughly 95% of its forests are publicly owned and governed by stringent laws and environmental regulations.

B.C. has roughly the same amount of forested area as it did before European settlement, making it one of the few regions in the world with virtually no significant deforestation.

It plants 200 million seedlings each year as part of its commitment to reforestation.

Only 3% of B.C.’s land has been permanently converted to other uses such as farming, ranching, and urban development.

When compared to seven other forest jurisdictions around the world, B.C. has one of the highest percentages of total land covered with forests, second only to Japan.

“B.C.’s comprehensive forest management laws and regulations are further enhanced by the industry’s widespread participation in rigorous forest certification programs. Vietnamese manufacturers can take advantage of the eco-friendly reputation of Canadian wood products and certifications—something an increasing number of buyers are looking for,” Tran added.

With more than 41 million hectares of certified forests in B.C., the province has some of the highest rates of forest certification in the world.

In fact, Canada accounts for almost 35% of all certified forests globally—the largest of any country worldwide.

Forest certification is a voluntary process conducted by an independent third party that assesses the sustainability and quality of a company’s forest management against a set of defined standards.

Certification and related product labeling inform customers and the public about wood products that come from certified forests.

Certification of forest management examines whether an operation meets a specified set of standards, while certification of the chain of custody (CoC certification) verifies that certified material is identified or kept separate from non-certified or non-controlled material throughout production, from the forest to the end-user.

To label a product as certified, both forest management certification and chain-of-custody certification are required.

In Canada, there are three third-party certification systems for sustainable forest management: Canadian Standards Association’s Sustainable Forest Management Standard (CSA), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).

With certifications, manufacturers in Vietnam can confidently source sustainable Canadian wood. Photo courtesy of Canadian Wood

Certification programs are endorsed and overseen by one of two independent non-profit organizations: Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which oversees both endorsement and certification programs.

While there are some differences between each certification program, the three used in B.C., CSA, FSC and SFI, all promote principles, criteria, and objectives based on sustainable forest management, including reforestation, reasonable harvesting quotas, and protection of wildlife habitat, soils, water, and surrounding ecosystems.

“As we see it, it’s a real win-win. Vietnamese manufacturers can rest assured that Canadian wood products are sustainable. They can also take advantage of the abundance of certified wood products Canada offers and include these reputable certification programs as an eco-friendly boost to their own marketing initiatives,” says Tran.

Canadian Wood Vietnam is a government-funded agency located in Thu Dau Mot City and here to help you source high-quality certified Canadian wood well-suited to a variety of furniture and other manufacturing applications.

Through our Try Canadian Wood initiative, Vietnamese manufacturers can put a range of softwood species to the test, whether it’s trialing an entirely new idea or exploring cost-effective alternatives for an existing product line.

See more about the benefits of sustainably-harvested, certified Canadian wood product here, contact via email [email protected], or contact hotline (+84) 2743803609.