Overview of Vietnamese ceramics market

The global ceramics market size compared to Vietnamese ceramics

In 2020, the global ceramics market size was valued at USD 247.4 billion. Although Covid 19 has caused tremendous stagnation and slowdown in the whole economy, resulting in a dropped demand for ceramics worldwide, the market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 4.4% from USD 130.19 billion in 2021 to USD 219.12 billion by 2028. Most of these promising increases are attributed to many factors, including demand-driven growth and advances in ceramics production.

Vietnamese ceramics market size

Vietnam is one of the world’s top ceramics producers, with a great variety of skilled craftsmen creating exquisite “works of art” and meticulously-made ceramics for consumers from many countries.

Taking great pride in its international reputation as one of the world’s cradles of traditional handicrafts with long development history, both the Vietnamese government and local manufacturers have attempted to promote their products to foreign customers.

Against all the economic slowdown (due to the pandemic), ceramics growth in Vietnam registered at 3.5 % in the first three quarters of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

Specifically, in June 2020, approximately $47 million worth of ceramics were exported, an increase of 10% over June 2019. What’s more, Vietnamese ceramics and pottery are currently to be found in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Nowadays, Vietnam produces a wide range of ceramics and pottery, varying from minimalist clay products to delicate decor items combined with plenty of glaze colors. However, the key export categories are reported to be decorative accessories, kitchen items, and ceramic statues.

Let’s come to some specific trends and figures as follows:

In April 2021, there was a significant increase in the exports of decorative ceramic accessories, totaling 3.46 million USD. And in the first four months of this year, decorative ceramics exports reached 13.78 million USD, up 76.3% on-year.

Similarly, export of ceramic kitchen items reached 811.2 thousand USD in April 2021, up 1.3% on-month and 51.3% on-year. In the first 4 months, 2.74 million USD worth of this group of ceramics were shipped worldwide.

Lastly, exports of the ceramic statue in April stood at 678.6 thousand USD, up 43.5% compared to March, up 39.4% over the same period in 2020. In the first 4 months of the year, these ceramics exports totaled 2.02 million USD, down 22.2% compared to the same period in 2020.

The two leading export markets of many Vietnamese ceramics are the EU and US. Regarding the EU market, in April, the export value of these products reached 5.32 million USD, up 4.8% compared to March; an increase of 85.3% over the same period in 2020. In the first 4 months of the year, decorative ceramic exports to the EU reached 23.45 million USD, up 23.6% over the same period in 2020.

The Netherlands is the EU’s largest importer of fine art ceramics of Vietnam, reaching 1.39 billion USD worth in April, up 36.4% compared to March and up 123.9% over the same period in 2020.

Quality of Vietnamese ceramics and pottery

Bestowed with a great number of rivers and streams throughout its land, supplying plentiful clay soil for ceramics and pottery making, Vietnam, in fact, is home to numerous pottery villages that exist and thrive until now. Their products have shapes, patterns, and glaze colors that cannot be found anywhere else. For example, most of their glaze colors are created from natural ingredients, which attracts anyone curious about the whole sophisticated process.

Besides a long history, Vietnamese ceramics and pottery have established a good reputation for durability and can remain in their original states for decades.

As mentioned before, the ceramics sector has been greatly invested and developed with well-selected materials and skillful workmanship to produce a wide range of ceramics designs that meet every customer’s needs.

Many Vietnamese suppliers now use a protective coating and add water/stain-resistant features to improve the quality of their ceramic products and make them crack-resistant. All of those advanced techniques ensure that their ceramics products are completed with the best efficiency.

Additionally, Vietnamese artisans of different generations have always put all their heart and soul into their work. Nowadays, Vietnamese ceramics and pottery are available and sought-after in many countries, including the US, UK, Japan, and the EU. Through these products, the customers can vividly experience the creativity and talent of each craftsman besides having deeper insights into the Vietnamese tradition.

Opportunities for European companies to import Vietnamese ceramics

Along with the high demand from the domestic and global markets, there are now hundreds of factories that can produce handicraft ceramics and pottery with high quality and favorable costs. In other words, a company can buy Vietnamese ceramics and pottery in bulk directly from the manufacturers. They even allow and welcome personalized designs and requirements that best satisfy every customer.

Also, the EVFTA, with its liberalization of customs duties and the strengthening of trade relations, represents a huge opportunity for European companies to further access reliable ceramics suppliers. In addition, your deals in importing Vietnamese ceramics can open room for more cooperation and stronger relations with other Southeast Asian countries.

Another advantage is that shipping from Vietnam to Western countries is now straightforward, which can take as little as 27 days to deliver a full container worth of ceramics goods to them, i.e. the Netherlands.

Once again, the main advantage here is that you can work directly with ceramics and pottery suppliers who deliver wholesale and exactly meet your specific requirements for your market.

VIEC offers the most practical solution to importing Vietnamese ceramics?

We are Vietnam Import Export Consultant for your business

If you seek suppliers in Vietnam to start your business, let’s call VIEC for more advice. We have built up long-standing networks with Vietnamese partners since 2011, so we are proud to let you in contact with the best manufacturers available.
Another exclusive advantage is definitely quality control. A major issue facing the majority of importers of ceramics and pottery is the difficulty in inspecting the specifications required.

We work on your behalf in Vietnam for purchasing or selling

If you order from an unverified supplier, you could end up with inferior products or ones that do not meet your expectations. This is why you must have a trusted commercial representative to work closely with native producers to inspect the product from the beginning of the production stages.
Based on our over-11-year experiences in promoting bilateral trade between Europe, mainly the Netherlands and Vietnam, VIEC is proud to become a trustworthy partner of both manufacturers and end consumers in the two countries.

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