Vietnamese spend US$18m importing Tet flowers and plants

The Netherlands was the largest supplier of flowers and ornamental plants to Vietnam with a value of more than US$ 5 million (up 76% compared to Tet 2017), followed by China with nearly US$4 million (up approximately 81%).

The main drivers of growth in imported flowers and ornamental plants were orchids, water-rails, rohdea japonica, and ornamental pine trees, most of which are bought in from China (with an import value of around US$3.3 million), Taiwan (US$2.7 million) and Japan (more than US$1 million).

As Valentine’s Day coincided with the Tet holidays, imports of flowers for the Day increased sharply to cope with demand. Shipments of lily flowers from the Netherlands reached a value of US$4.4 million, with New Zealand at US$1.1 million, and France at more than US$1 million.

Thai orchids were also much favoured by Vietnamese customers with US$2.2 million worth being imported for Tet.