Ensuring timber legality, affirming the position of Vietnamese wood

This important event aimed to strengthen joint efforts on timber legality and traceability, review the progress of the VPA/FLEGT Agreement implementation, and promote gender equality in the forestry sector.

The forum was held within the framework of the project “Supporting the Implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA/FLEGT) in Vietnam,” commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented jointly by GIZ and the Forestry and Forest Protection Department. 

In his opening remarks at the Forum, Mr. Tran Quang Bao, Director General of the Forestry and Forest Protection Department, emphasized that Vietnam’s wood industry plays a vital role in the national economy. In 2024, exports of wood and forest products reached USD 17.3 billion, making a major contribution to agricultural export performance, generating employment for over 500,000 direct workers, and sustaining the livelihoods of millions of forest-growing households.

However, to realize the target of USD 23–25 billion in wood product exports and USD 5 billion in domestic market value by 2030, the forestry sector must overcome significant barriers. The greatest challenge comes from increasingly stringent requirements of import markets such as the EU and the U.S. regarding timber legality and traceability. This pressure also presents an opportunity for Vietnam to enhance its competitiveness and affirm its position on the global wood map.

The Director General noted that, over the years, Vietnam has implemented a wide range of measures to ensure legal timber sources. Key milestones include the signing of the VPA/FLEGT Agreement with the European Union, the Section 301 Agreement with the United States, and the development of a timber legality assurance system along with mechanisms for raw material traceability.

At the same time, the forestry sector has also been promoting sustainable forest management, forest certification, and improvements to the legal framework covering forest protection, development, processing, and exports. These efforts clearly demonstrate Vietnam’s commitment to building a legal, transparent, responsible, and environmentally friendly wood industry.

Mr. Jens-Schmid Kreye, First Secretary of the German Embassy in Vietnam, noted that forestry cooperation projects between Vietnam and Germany focus on key areas such as sustainable forest management, forest protection, and developing a legal and sustainable timber value chain. This reflects a shared commitment to sustainable development and climate action.

According to Mr. Jens-Schmid Kreye, a legal timber supply chain not only brings economic benefits but also plays a crucial role in addressing climate change and conserving biodiversity. With its large wood processing industry, Vietnam serves as a critical global link in ensuring transparency and legality from supply to market.

Vietnam’s gradual development of a robust timber legality assurance system also demonstrates its strong commitment to climate action, with the forestry sector serving as a key pillar in achieving the net-zero emissions target by 2050.

Germany will continue to support Vietnam in implementing the VPA/FLEGT Agreement through training, capacity building, knowledge transfer, and the development of digital tools. This forms the foundation for Vietnam to complete its Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS) and move toward FLEGT licensing.

The project “Supporting the implementation of the VPA/FLEGT Agreement in Vietnam” has been carried out from October 2021 to September 2025, with EUR 4.3 million (VND 129 billion) in non-refundable aid from the German Government. Its goal is to help stakeholders improve the legal, institutional, and operational framework so that the Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS) is fully aligned with the requirements of the Agreement.