USA
Vietnam trade laneVietnam's furniture industry is one of the largest buyers of American hardwood: red and white oak, ash, walnut, maple, cherry and poplar, as kiln-dried lumber and as logs, for factories in the Binh Duong area (now part of Ho Chi Minh City), Dong Nai and the central coast. Much of that furniture comes back to the US, and that round trip is what makes the paperwork matter.
A Vietnamese furniture maker selling to the US has to declare the species and country of harvest of its wood under the Lacey Act, and increasingly has to show that its inputs are not Chinese. Clean, consistent US export documents for the lumber are part of that proof. AGF runs the US end from Glendale, and in Vietnam we work through WCA partner agents, who clear customs and deliver; AGF has no office there.
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Shipping Hardwood Lumber & Logs from USA to Vietnam
Kiln-dried lumber ships in strapped, tallied bundles in 40ft containers; dense species such as oak and hickory can reach the weight limit before the box is full, while lighter species such as poplar fill the volume first. Logs are loaded to weight and need treatment and documentation that kiln-dried lumber does not. Moisture content matters on arrival: lumber that is stored or loaded wet can grow mold in a container crossing into the tropics.
Most US hardwood loads on the East Coast and Gulf — Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, New York/New Jersey and Houston — close to the Appalachian and Midwestern mills, with West Coast ports for western loads. Transit to Ho Chi Minh City or Hai Phong depends on the service and any transshipment, and we confirm it per booking.
- 40ft containers of tallied, strapped bundles; logs loaded to weight
- Phytosanitary certificate from USDA APHIS, and any treatment Vietnam requires
- Species, volume and country of harvest consistent across every document
- Loading from East Coast, Gulf and West Coast ports near the mills
What Drives the Cost
- Lumber or logs — logs need more treatment and inspection
- Species density, which decides whether a container hits weight or volume first
- Inland trucking from the mill or concentration yard to the port
- Phytosanitary inspection and any fumigation or treatment
- Port of loading and the service to Ho Chi Minh City or Hai Phong
- Vietnamese clearance and delivery to the factory
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Codes are confirmed with the licensed customs representative at destination before you ship.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 4407.91–4407.99 | Hardwood lumber, sawn lengthwise, over 6 mm — oak, ash, maple, cherry, walnut, poplar | Classified by species group; the Schedule B code and the species on the invoice must match. |
| 4403.91–4403.99 | Hardwood logs in the rough | Logs carry stricter phytosanitary requirements than kiln-dried lumber, and some logs from public lands cannot be exported unprocessed. |
| 4408 | Veneer sheets | High value per container; packed flat and protected from moisture. |
Regulations and Compliance
Phytosanitary certificate
Vietnam requires a phytosanitary certificate issued by USDA APHIS for logs and lumber, and may require treatment such as fumigation depending on the product. Logs are inspected more closely than kiln-dried lumber. We confirm the current Vietnamese requirements for your product before the mill loads.
Vietnam's timber legality rules
Under Vietnam's Timber Legality Assurance System (Decree 102/2020, amended in 2024), Vietnamese importers must document that imported timber was legally harvested, with requirements that depend on the country and species. US lumber with complete mill, sales and export records meets this without difficulty — provided the documents are consistent.
Lacey Act — why the furniture maker asks for paperwork
When the finished furniture is imported into the US, the importer must file a Lacey Act declaration naming the genus, species and country of harvest of the wood. A Vietnamese factory buying documented US hardwood can show exactly where its wood came from, which supports that declaration and helps prove the furniture's inputs are not Chinese. Consistent species names and volumes on the US export documents make the factory's job straightforward.
US export filing and log export limits
Shipments above the AES threshold need Electronic Export Information filed before loading; hardwood lumber and logs are generally EAR99 and ship without a licence once the parties are screened. Unprocessed logs from federal lands in the western US, and state-owned timber in some western states, cannot be exported — a rule that rarely affects eastern hardwoods but matters for western loads.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
We start with the species, grade, volume and the mill or yard locations. We arrange trucking or rail to the port, container loading, the phytosanitary inspection and certificate, and the AES filing, and check that species and volumes match across the invoice, tally and certificates.
The container sails to Cai Mep, Cat Lai or Hai Phong, where our WCA partner agent in Vietnam clears customs, including the timber legality documentation, and delivers to the factory. Quotes are door to door, with exclusions listed up front.
Frequently Asked Questions
What documents do I need to export hardwood lumber to Vietnam?
Why do Vietnamese furniture makers ask for so much lumber paperwork?
Can I export hardwood logs from the USA to Vietnam?
How long does it take to ship lumber from the USA to Vietnam?
Hardwood Lumber & Logs is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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