Furniture Sourcing Service for Vietnam — Cat Lai, 3–5 Days.
Vietnam is our fastest-turning market — 3–5 day transit to Cat Lai Port, ASEAN–China preferential duty with Form E, 10% VAT. Full step-by-step in our Vietnam import guide.
Port & transit time
Ocean freight from Foshan to Vietnam typically runs 3–5 days, landing at Cat Lai Port, Ho Chi Minh City.
Common categories shipped to Vietnam.
Hospitality casegoods
Dining, bedroom and lobby furniture for hotel and resort projects.
Outdoor & rattan
Weather-rated pieces for beachfront resorts in Da Nang and Phu Quoc.
Retail & F&B
Seating and fixtures for the fast-growing café and restaurant sector.
Notes for buyers shipping to Vietnam.
- Cat Lai handles the large majority of Vietnam's containerised imports, so berth congestion during peak season is worth planning around.
- Many buyers combine an initial hospitality order with a recurring F&B fit-out line once the first container lands.
Clearance into Cat Lai without surprises.
Import duty on furniture into Vietnam depends on the HS code each item is classified under, and VAT applies on top — the calculator on this site pre-fills 10% as an example only. Vietnam sits inside the ASEAN–China free trade area, so goods of Chinese origin can enter at preferential rates when a valid Form E certificate of origin accompanies them. Matching that certificate to the HS codes declared on the commercial invoice is where a clean clearance is usually won or lost.
Classification is where avoidable cost accumulates. An upholstered sofa and a wooden frame are different codes, and the rate follows whichever code your broker declares. We prepare the packing list, specification and materials breakdown so your broker can classify confidently — but the declaration is theirs, and rates change. Confirm current figures with them before you quote a client.
A Vietnam order usually starts small.
Most Vietnam buyers begin with one hospitality floor, one café fit-out, or one showroom — enough to test whether the finish, the packing and the timeline hold up in real use before committing a project budget. That first order tells you more about a supplier than any quotation: whether the goods match the approved sample, whether the dates were honest, and whether problems get resolved or argued about.
Because transit here is the shortest of any market we serve, Vietnam suits a faster test-and-repeat rhythm than the rest of the region. Buyers frequently run a first order, correct the specification, and place the volume order within the same quarter.
Three things that catch Vietnam buyers.
- Peak-season berth congestion. Cat Lai carries the large majority of Vietnam’s containerised imports. Near Tet, and again in the pre-holiday build, arrival dates slip. Build the buffer into the schedule rather than into the container.
- Central-coast opening dates. Projects in Da Nang and further south often have a fixed opening date tied to a season. Work backwards from that date and treat production and freight as separate risks, because they fail for different reasons.
- Treating a factory quote as a landed cost. FOB from Foshan is not what the goods cost you in Ho Chi Minh City. Duty, VAT, freight, the sourcing fee and inland delivery all sit between the two — run them through the calculator before you price anything onward.
Common questions shipping furniture to Vietnam.
How long does shipping from Foshan to Vietnam take?
Ocean freight from Foshan to Vietnam typically runs 3-5 days, landing at Cat Lai Port, Ho Chi Minh City. That is the shortest transit of any market we serve, which is why Vietnam suits a faster test-and-repeat cycle: ship a smaller first order, confirm the specification, then repeat.
Which port do furniture containers arrive at in Vietnam?
Cat Lai Port, Ho Chi Minh City, which handles the large majority of Vietnam's containerised imports. Buyers supplying Da Nang or Phu Quoc normally move onward from there by road.
Is there import duty on furniture going into Vietnam?
Duty depends on the HS code each item is classified under, with VAT applied on top. Vietnam sits inside the ASEAN-China free trade area, so goods of Chinese origin can enter under preferential rates where the certificate of origin is presented.
What usually goes wrong on Vietnam shipments?
Three things catch Vietnam buyers: peak-season berth congestion around Tet, projects in Da Nang and further south working to a fixed seasonal opening date, and treating a FOB Foshan quote as a landed cost in Ho Chi Minh City.
Where should I start with a Vietnam order?
Most Vietnam buyers begin with one hospitality floor, one cafe fit-out, or one showroom - enough volume to consolidate efficiently and small enough to learn the route before scaling it.
Vietnam lead time and cost at a glance.
Ocean transit Foshan → Cat Lai: 3–5 days, shortest of our six routes. Duty per HS code + 10% VAT; Form E unlocks preferential rates. Peak-season berth congestion near Tet — build buffer into project schedules. Model it in the landed-cost calculator.
Background reading — guide to importing furniture into Vietnam (ports, duties, lead times) →