Asia-Pacific · Sourcing guide
Sourcing chairs from China to Vietnam
For a Vietnam-based buyer, the question is rarely whether a Chinese factory can make the chair — it is what the chair costs once it clears Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai/Cai Mep). This page walks the freight, duty and timing numbers for the lane.
Vietnam plays a dual role that is worth understanding before you structure your supply chain: it is both a major China-alternative production base — particularly for wood, rattan and outdoor categories — and a fast-growing import market for Chinese-made mechanisms, foam and metal components that Vietnamese factories use for US-export production. If you're selling finished seating for domestic Vietnamese consumption, ACFTA Form E brings duty to 0%, but Vietnamese customs scrutinises origin documentation carefully given sustained US trade-diversion pressure. Keep your Form E paperwork clean and your supply-chain paper trail clear.
The market, briefly
Vietnam is simultaneously the biggest China-alternative chair manufacturing base (especially wood and outdoor seating) and a growing import market for components, mechanisms and foam. Many Chinese factories have opened Vietnamese plants to serve US-bound orders. Domestic consumer demand is rising fast in HCMC and Hanoi.
Landed cost: how to run the numbers
The full bill for Vietnam stacks up as FOB + ocean freight and surcharges + duty + VAT/GST + port/clearance fees + the final inland leg. Buyers who budget only FOB and headline freight get caught the same way every time: on budget seating the remainder typically adds another 20–40% to the invoice.
A worked example (estimate)
A useful sanity check: 300 KD task chairs at $30 FOB — $9,000 of goods — in one 40HC. Midpoint freight for 2026-H1 ($1,000) works out near $3 per chair before duty, taxes, port charges and the inland leg are counted. Budget against the top of the band, not the midpoint; the spread is the norm here. These numbers illustrate the method — always price the lane live.
For the underlying method, start with sea-freight budgeting, then Incoterms for chair buyers — and use container math when you plan the load.
Frequently asked
How long does shipping take from China to Vietnam?
Typical liner schedules into Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai/Cai Mep)/Haiphong run 3–8 days port-to-port. Shanghai/Ningbo direct intra-Asia services to both ends of the country. Add booking lead time, origin handling and customs clearance on both ends.
What does a 40ft container of chairs cost to ship to Vietnam?
As of 2026-H1, published spot ranges for the lane sit roughly between $400 and $1,500 for a 40ft/40HC — an estimate from public rate indices, not a quote. Surcharges, peak-season fees and inland legs come on top.
What import duty applies to chairs in Vietnam?
ACFTA puts most Chinese-origin seating at 0% duty with Form E; VAT (8–10%) applies at import. Vietnam scrutinizes transshipment/origin-washing closely given US trade pressure — keep origin paperwork clean. 10% standard VAT (temporarily 8% on many goods).
Which port should I route chairs through for Vietnam?
Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai/Cai Mep), Haiphong are the usual gateways. Your forwarder's local coverage matters more than the port itself.
All freight, transit, duty and tax figures are generic planning estimates compiled by the editorial desk, marked as-of 2026-H1. Tariffs and VAT change frequently; always verify current rates with your freight forwarder and a licensed customs broker before quoting or committing. Rates as of 2026-H1.