Importing engineered hardwood flooring from a factory you have not worked with before is a sequence of small decisions, and most problems come from taking them in the wrong order. A container booked before the color is approved, or a quotation compared before the specification is fixed, creates work that has to be undone later. This guide sets out a practical order for a first import from Vietnam, from the first specification to receiving the goods, with the documents and evidence to ask for at each step.
The import sequence at a glance
| Stage | What the buyer does | What to have in hand before moving on |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Specify | Define the product in writing | A complete specification |
| 2. Check the factory | Confirm who makes the floor and how | Answers, a live view of the line, or a visit |
| 3. Sample | Review a physical sample from the line | An approved sample, labeled on both sides |
| 4. Documents | Request compliance and product documents | Documents matched to your construction |
| 5. Terms | Agree trade term, named place and payment terms | A confirmed order |
| 6. Packing and labels | Fix cartons, labels and pallets | A written packing and labeling brief |
| 7. Inspect | Check goods before loading | An inspection record against the sample |
| 8. Receive | Check the delivery and store it correctly | A receiving record for your installer |
Stage 1: Write a complete specification
A made-to-order factory prices the build, not a catalog line, so the first request should cover everything the price depends on:
- Construction: solid, 2-layer engineered or 3-layer engineered.
- Thickness and wear layer: for example 5/8” (15mm) with a 3mm sawn wear layer, or 3/4” (20mm) with a 6mm sawn wear layer.
- Format: plank, herringbone, chevron or parquet to drawing.
- Width and length: give both inches and millimeters so there is no rounding question.
- Grade and grain: Premium, Select, Natural or Rustic, and the cut if it matters.
- Color, texture, sheen and finish system.
- Quantity in sq ft per item, and the destination.
Write dimensions in both systems from the start. It removes the most common source of confusion between an importer working in inches and a factory working in millimeters. Our RFQ checklist lists each item with examples.
Stage 2: Check who makes the floor
For engineered flooring, the questions that matter are about process: how timber is dried and checked for moisture, how layers are bonded and pressed, how boards are profiled, and where the finish is applied. A factory that runs these steps itself can answer in detail and show them.
Useful evidence, from least to most complete:
- Written answers naming the process steps and the machines.
- Photographs and video of work in progress, not only finished rooms.
- A live video call walking the actual line.
- A visit to the factory.
Our guide on how to vet a hardwood flooring factory lists the questions stage by stage.
Stage 3: Approve a physical sample
Ask for a sample made with the exact build you intend to order, using the intended production finish. Review it in your own light, next to the materials it will sit with, and look at several boards so you see the range the grade allows.
Put the approval in writing, referencing the full specification. At Vu Uy Wood, the approved sample becomes the master color standard, production is checked against that master panel, and repeat orders are checked against the same master. Keep a labeled counterpart on your side so both parties judge future lots against the same physical object.
Stage 4: Request the right documents
The documents depend on the construction and the destination market.
For engineered flooring entering the United States, the core is composite wood, so CARB Phase 2 is the reference to check. Ask for:
- The CARB Phase 2 certification covering the composite core, with the certifier’s name and certification number.
- Confirmation of which constructions and thicknesses it covers.
- A sample of how the compliance statement will appear on cartons and shipping documents.
For Japan, ask which JAS standard is referenced and whether your product will carry the mark or is produced to it as a grading and construction standard.
For prefinished floors, ask for the technical and safety data sheets of the coatings used on the line.
For every shipment, confirm with your customs broker and forwarder which documents they need, such as the commercial invoice, packing list, and details of the species and origin of the timber. Import requirements for wood products differ by country, and your broker is the right person to set that list.
Our article on CARB P2, JAS and NWFA explains what each reference does and does not cover. Note that NWFA is an industry membership, not a certification.
Stage 5: Agree trade terms and confirm the order
State your preferred trade term in the request, with its named place and the Incoterms edition, for example FOB with a named port of shipment. EXW and FOB divide loading, export clearance and inland haulage very differently, so two quotations on different terms cannot be compared directly. See EXW vs FOB for hardwood flooring.
Payment terms are agreed at order confirmation, together with quantities, destination, packaging and labeling. Resolve anything still open, such as a second width or a carton change, before production starts. A change after confirmation is slower and more expensive than a change before it.
Stage 6: Fix packing and labels in writing
Flooring travels a long way from a humid climate to your warehouse, and cartons are handled several times. Agree in writing:
- Carton contents, stated in sq ft per carton.
- Label content: product description, color code, dimensions, lot and carton count, plus any compliance statement your market requires.
- Private label: your brand, artwork and barcodes, if the program sells under your name.
- Pallets: pallet build, wrapping and corner protection, and whether your destination has rules for wood packaging material. Your forwarder can confirm this.
Stage 7: Inspect before loading
Inspection is cheapest before the container is sealed. Check the goods against the approved sample and the written specification: color and sheen against the master, dimensions, profile fit, grade range, carton count and labels. The check can be done by your own staff, a representative, or a third-party inspector you appoint.
A factory with defined checkpoints makes this simpler. At Vu Uy, inspection runs through production, from incoming material and moisture checks to T&G fit, color against the master panel, final visual QC and packing.
Stage 8: Receive and store correctly
When the container arrives, count cartons against the packing list, check labels and lot numbers, and note any damage before signing. Store flooring flat, off the ground, and in conditions close to those of the finished building. Acclimation and installation conditions are set by the installer and the adhesive or system maker; NWFA guidance is a widely used reference for installers.
A note on communication
Working hours in Ho Chi Minh City overlap closely with Japan and Australia, but only briefly with the Americas and Europe, where each round of questions can cost a day. Send drawings, references and questions together, in one message, and quote the specification or RFQ reference each time. One complete message moves a project faster than several partial ones.
Working with Vu Uy Wood
Vu Uy Wood manufactures solid and engineered French White Oak flooring to buyer specification in Song Than 3 Industrial Park, Ho Chi Minh City, and has done so since 2006. Drying, bonding, machining, finishing, inspection and packing are managed in-house, and the approved sample is kept as the master for repeat orders. You can build a written specification on the Specify page or send documents and drawings through the contact page. We normally reply within one working day.