According to records, the Vietnamese agarwood industry has seen significant development in recent times. Proactively securing raw materials from the Aquilaria tree (Aquilaria crassna) has helped increase processing value, gradually participating in the global supply chain and creating sustainable livelihoods for people in many localities.

However, the reality of exports is posing many challenges. One of the biggest obstacles currently is the lack of synchronization in scientific nomenclature between Vietnam and importing markets. Many countries, especially in Northeast Asia, only accept scientific names such as Aquilaria malaccensis or Aquilaria agallocha, while the species commonly grown in Vietnam, Aquilaria crassna, has not yet been updated or recognized as compatible in some management systems.

As a result, many shipments, despite having full permits in accordance with CITES Convention regulations, are still being denied customs clearance. This not only causes direct economic losses for businesses but also disrupts the supply chain, affecting the reputation of the Vietnamese agarwood industry in the international market.

According to the Vietnam Agarwood Association, current inadequacies are not merely a matter of administrative procedures but are also related to gaps in scientific databases. The lack of an internationally recognized data system on genetic resources, botanical nomenclature, and commercial standards is becoming an interdisciplinary technical barrier that exceeds the capacity of individual businesses to resolve on their own.

On that basis, the Vietnam Agarwood Association is collecting broad feedback from organizations and individuals operating in the agarwood sector to draft a petition to be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant agencies. The proposed content focuses on adding Vietnam's Aquilaria crassna species to the international gene bank system; and building a complete scientific profile on classification, genetic data, distribution areas, and commercial value.

At the same time, the feedback will also aim to propose a coordination mechanism with CITES management agencies and international organizations to move towards recognizing commercial equivalence between species in the Aquilaria genus; issuing unified guidelines on the use of scientific names in export documents; as well as considering flexible solutions to minimize risks during the customs clearance process.

Notably, to have a more complete practical basis, the Vietnam Agarwood Association calls on businesses, organizations, and individuals operating in the agarwood sector, especially those experiencing difficulties in exporting, to proactively send written feedback to the Association.

Opinions and petitions can be sent directly to the Vietnam Agarwood Association Office at: 150 Ly Chinh Thang, Xuan Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, or sent via the “Contact” section on the Association's official website at hoitramhuong.vn. The content should focus on issues such as: legal procedural obstacles, difficulties in using scientific names, cases of customs clearance congestion, as well as specific proposed solutions from businesses.

All feedback will be synthesized and analyzed by the Association to perfect appropriate and practical policy recommendations.

A representative of the Vietnam Agarwood Association stated that gathering the voices of the business community is a necessary step to form a comprehensive picture of the “bottlenecks” of the industry. Thereby, it not only helps to remove immediate difficulties but also aims at the long-term goal of building a transparent legal framework, improving competitiveness, and affirming the position of Vietnamese agarwood in the international market.

In the context of increasing global demand for agarwood products, resolving technical and legal barriers is considered a key factor for the sustainable development of this specialized industry. The Vietnam Agarwood Association affirms that it will continue to act as a bridge between businesses and management agencies, accompanying them in the process of data standardization, institutional improvement, and export promotion.