On the morning of April 17, 2025, at the headquarters of SAWA – the Association of Structure Architecture Wood – Ho Chi Minh City (under the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Construction and Building Materials – SACA), a formal meeting took place between SAWA and American Softwoods, one of the world’s leading trade promotion organizations supporting the development of the U.S. softwood timber industry in international markets.
The American Softwoods delegation attending the meeting included Mr. Xu Fang – Representative of the Softwood Export Council (SEC) in China, and Mr. Manh Hung – SEC Representative in Vietnam. Representing SAWA were Mr. Nguyen Manh Binh San – Vice Chairman of SAWA, and Mr. Adam Corall – Vice Chairman in charge of International Cooperation.
The meeting took place in a warm, open, yet highly professional and strategically focused atmosphere. Both parties engaged in in-depth discussions on potential future collaboration, with a particular focus on developing sustainable timber materials in the construction sector, strengthening the timber value chain, and enhancing the role of international enterprises in the Vietnamese market.
Presentation about SAWA by Mr.AdamDuring the discussion, Mr. Adam Corall provided an in-depth overview of SAWA’s vision and mission, placing particular emphasis on the organization’s long-term strategic plans to promote the use of timber in construction—as a practical solution for advancing green building practices and responding to climate change. He affirmed that: “The development and implementation of technical standards for timber construction are essential foundations for Vietnam to build a structured, safe, and internationally aligned timber construction industry.”
Following this, Mr. Nguyen Manh Binh San introduced SAWA’s upcoming key initiatives, including a series of specialized workshops, technical seminars on green timber construction, as well as business networking programs and innovation-driven events focused on modern timber construction. These initiatives aim to serve as a bridge for knowledge sharing, expert collaboration, and connecting suppliers, architects, and investors both domestically and internationally.
Notably, Mr. Binh San highlighted a major upcoming initiative: the International Exhibition on Ecological Timber Homes in the Forest, scheduled to take place in December 2025 at the Lang Nho area. The event is expected to gather:
• Over 5 leading international timber construction brands,
• 4 top architectural and design consultants in Vietnam,
• More than 50 building material suppliers, all of whom are members of SACA and SAWA.
The exhibition is anticipated to serve as a significant catalyst for the timber construction sector in Vietnam—generating strong domestic visibility while attracting the attention of international partners and supportive government policies.
The meeting between SAWA and American Softwoods has opened up a wealth of practical collaboration opportunities, ranging from market research, seminar organization, and training program development, to investment advisoryand industry standards advancement. This lays a solid foundation for long-term initiatives that contribute to Vietnam’s goals for a green and sustainable economy through environmentally friendly timber construction solutions.