Timber and timber products are potential commodity in the Malaysian market. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, in 2021, Malaysia imported 1.1 billion USD of timber and timber products. Viet Nam ranked 4th with a market share of 11.9%, equivalent to a turnover of 131.6 million USD. The three leading countries in Malaysia's timber and timber products market included China (29.1% market share, equivalent to a turnover of 322.6 million USD), Indonesia (17.8% market share, equivalent to a turnover of 197 USD), and Thailand (13.7% market share, equivalent to 152.4 million USD). Viet Nam is also subject to competition from other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil...

Timber and timber products are potential commodity in the Malaysian market. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, in 2021, Malaysia imported 1.1 billion USD of timber and timber products. Viet Nam ranked 4th with a market share of 11.9%, equivalent to a turnover of 131.6 million USD. The three leading countries in Malaysia's timber and timber products market included China (29.1% market share, equivalent to a turnover of 322.6 million USD), Indonesia (17.8% market share, equivalent to a turnover of 197 USD), and Thailand (13.7% market share, equivalent to 152.4 million USD). Viet Nam is also subject to competition from other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil...

According to Viet Nam Custom’s statistic, in the first nine months of 2022, Viet Nam's export turnover of timber and timber products to Malaysia reached $113 million, up 31.8% over the same period in 2021.

In Malaysia, the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) is the governing body for the issuance of import permits for the import of logs, squared or semi-squared logs and ballast and Bakau piles; gewgew; particle board; fiberboard; plywood and veneer and all kinds of laminated wood. Importing applicants must fill out an Import Application Form which can be downloaded from the MTIB website or obtained directly from the MTIB offices. Applications will then be sent to the Import/Export Committee. After being approved by the Import/Export Committee, the MTIB will issue a Letter of Import Approval within one year from the date of issue and specifying the quantity to be imported.

In order to grasp market trends and consumer tastes and establish a foothold in the Malaysian timber and timber products market, Vietnamese businesses need to consult different information sources and especially need to cooperate with local market experts. They also need to ensure their products have good prices and quality. At the same time, they must ensure their reputation and business ethics to be able to dominate the market in a sustainable way in Malaysia. In addition, they need to focus on product marketing through conveying messages and images of products in different ways, participating in trade fairs as well as implementing other commercial marketing forms.

On October 5, 2022, Malaysia officially became the 9th member out of 11 countries participating in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This will help Vietnamese goods enjoy preferential tax rates under the Agreement when being exported to this market from November 29, 2022. Previously, Viet Nam also had agreements signed with Malaysia in the framework of ASEAN and ASEAN+, but with Malaysia ratifying the CPTPP, Viet Nam will have more advantages when it can use input materials from CPTPP countries to export to Malaysia and materials from Malaysia to export to other CPTPP countries./.