Poplar faced plywood · Ha Hoa, Phu Tho, Vietnam
In short
Poplar plywood from Vietnam is a poplar-faced panel: a pale cream poplar veneer on face and back, pressed over a Vietnamese plantation core. Minh Thanh Plywood makes it on white Styrax or Eucalyptus cores, stitched both ways, pressed twice and sanded to ±0.2 mm, with UF glue at E0 emission as standard. Thickness runs 3–40 mm on 1220 × 2440 or 1250 × 2500 mm sheets.
Poplar is one of the faces we press most, next to EV, birch, okoume and pine. It comes off our own lines in Ha Hoa, Phu Tho, where we make 50,000+ m³ of plywood a year and have over 20 years of plywood making behind us. Europe is its main market: furniture makers use it for painted cabinets, wardrobes, drawer parts and laminated panels, and repeat orders go into Italy.
Watch first
This film covers the whole page in about four minutes. It shows what a poplar-faced panel is, why the white Styrax core matters, the A and B face grades, the emission results, the checks before loading and how to order. Captions are on.
Real sheets
These are photos and video of full production sheets of poplar faced plywood. It is the same kind of proof we send buyers before a container is closed. Look for the whole cream face from end to end, the plain grain without heavy figure, and the pale layered edge of the Styrax core.
On your own order you receive the same footage: sheets from each thickness turned over on camera, the pack edge and a caliper reading. We film it at final inspection and send it by email or WhatsApp. You see the panels you paid for, not a catalogue picture.
A poplar face is plain by nature. Its value is a calm, even surface that paint and laminates cover without a strong grain showing through. In these photos, look at colour evenness and the absence of open defects rather than figure.
Specification
Our poplar plywood is a poplar face and back over a stitched white Styrax or Eucalyptus core, 3–40 mm thick. UF glue at E0 emission is standard, and both faces are sanded, polished and held to ±0.2 mm. Each line below is a field on the quotation and can be changed on your order.
| Face veneer | Rotary-cut poplar; face grade A or B, held to the sample sheet you approve |
|---|---|
| Back veneer | Poplar, quoted with the face as a pair: A/A, A/B or B/B |
| Face veneer thickness | 0.2–0.5 mm before pressing; 0.3 mm is the usual European furniture choice |
| Core | White Styrax or Eucalyptus plantation timber, grade A core veneers |
| Core joining | Stitched horizontally and vertically; outer plies stitched as standard, all plies on request |
| Pressing | Pressed twice: core board pressed and calibrated, then face and back pressed on |
| Plies | 3–5 mm: always 5 plies; 18 mm: 11–13 plies, most often 11 |
| Panel density | Styrax core about 500 kg/m³; Eucalyptus core 650–750 kg/m³ |
| Glue | UF glue at E0 emission as standard for furniture and interior panels; E1, MR/melamine-fortified and phenolic (WBP) made to your specification |
| Emission | E0, chamber-tested to ASTM D6007 every 3 months, below the CARB Phase 2 limit; meets the requirements European and US furniture buyers ask for |
| Thickness | 3–40 mm |
| Thickness tolerance | Down to ±0.2 mm on sanded furniture panels |
| Length and width tolerance | ±2 mm |
| Sheet sizes | 1220 × 2440 mm and 1250 × 2500 mm; custom 1220 × 2500 mm, 1220 × 2280 mm |
| Cut to size | One panel cut into 4, 6 or 8 pieces |
| Surface | Both faces sanded and polished, UV-ready for your own UV coating, paint or lamination |
| Moisture | Veneers and finished panels dried to 8–12 % at dispatch, the normal range for furniture plywood; reading recorded at final inspection |
| Certificates | CARB P2 / TSCA Title VI (ICTT mill no. 23024), ISO 9001:2015, TCVN 11902:2017; FSC and CE available* |
The surface is where poplar earns its place in a furniture plant. A sanded poplar face is fine-textured and pale, so primer and paint go on evenly. HPL, melamine paper, PVC foil and veneer press flat onto it. Both faces leave our line UV-ready, so a buyer with a UV roller line can coat straight from the pack.
Write the face and the core as two separate lines, for example face: poplar A/B; core: white Styrax. A quote that says only poplar plywood leaves the core open, and the core decides weight, edge colour and how many sheets fit in your container.
*Supplied directly or through qualified partner mills.
Related: Cut to size.
Face grades
Poplar is quoted as a face/back pair. A/A is clean cream on both sides, A/B keeps the clean face outward and a plainer back inside, and B/B is the paint and laminate grade. Each pair is held to a sample sheet you approve, and each card names the Chinese and trade codes it replaces on your current offers.
A/A
Both faces clean, even cream with plain straight or lightly wavy grain, only tiny sound pin knots, no patches, no open splits and no mineral streaks. Where Chinese offers say B/BB, this is the pair to compare.
Application brief
Clear-lacquered or lightly stained fronts, open shelving seen from both sides, children's furniture and laser-cut parts left natural.
A/B
An A face outward over a B back that may carry small sound knots, light colour streaks and a few neat patches. The face rules the look; the back stays sound and sanded. Covers what other mills list as A/B or B/BB with a lower back.
Application brief
Cabinet sides, wardrobe doors and carcass parts where only one side is seen, under paint or a clear coat.
B/B
Both faces may show small sound knots, mineral or colour streaks and matched patches; joints are closed and the surface is sanded flat so nothing telegraphs through primer or foil. Matches the Chinese BB/CC, and when ordered for paint it covers what is sold as CP.
Application brief
Painted furniture, HPL, melamine-paper and foil substrates, drawer bottoms, backs and internal parts.
Pay for the face your customer sees and no more. Under primer, foil or HPL a B face gives the same result as an A face. That is why B/B is the usual order for painted and laminated ranges. A/B suits carcasses with one visible side, and A/A is worth its price only where both sides stay natural.
Codes differ from mill to mill: some Vietnamese offers run A/B to B/C, Chinese ones use B/BB, BB/CC and CP, and European importers often just say paint grade. Send the code you buy today with a photo of a sheet. We name the pair that matches it and hold production to the sample you approve. Sheets that fall short drop to the lower pair and are never shipped as the one you ordered.
Core and construction
White Styrax gives a light poplar panel with a pale edge, about 500 kg/m³, and the fullest container. Eucalyptus, at 650–750 kg/m³, is for buyers who need a denser, heavier panel. Furniture makers in Europe mostly pick Styrax: it handles easily on the line and its cut edge stays cream.
| White Styrax core | Eucalyptus core | |
|---|---|---|
| Density | About 500 kg/m³ | 650–750 kg/m³ |
| 18 mm sheet, 1220 × 2440 mm | About 26.8 kg | About 34.8–40.2 kg |
| 12 mm sheet, 1220 × 2440 mm | About 17.9 kg | About 23.2–26.8 kg |
| 9 mm sheet, 1220 × 2440 mm | About 13.4 kg | About 17.4–20.1 kg |
| Edge look | Pale cream layers, close to the poplar face: the white core look | Pinkish-brown layers, darker than the face |
| Container load | Up to 18 bundles, 53–54 m³ per 40HC | Up to 15 bundles, about 43 m³ by volume |
| Best for | Painted and laminated furniture, flat-pack, CNC parts, loads where freight per sheet counts | Heavier carcasses, shelving and buyers who specify a minimum panel density |
Vietnamese mills make no poplar cores, so Vietnamese poplar plywood always has a local hardwood core. The face gives the product its name. White core in a trade enquiry means a pale core. On our panels that is white Styrax, a light plantation timber grown in northern Vietnam around Ha Hoa. Acacia, at about 580 kg/m³, belongs to our commercial and film-faced lines.
Two poplar quotes that look the same on paper usually part ways in the core. Ours is laid from grade A core veneers stitched in both directions. Joints stay shut in the press and never print through paint or foil as faint lines. Outer plies are always stitched; ask for every ply stitched when edges will be routed or left on show.
Thickness sets the number of plies. Every 3–5 mm panel has five: at 3 mm, one core veneer, two cross-bands and two faces; at 4 and 5 mm, three core veneers and two faces. At 18 mm there are 11–13 plies, usually 11, built from core veneers 1.4–2.0 mm thick before pressing.
Furniture-grade poplar plywood goes through the press twice. Plantation logs are peeled, and the veneers dried, glued and cross-laid into a core board, which is hot-pressed and then sanded to a calibrated thickness. Only then do the poplar face and back go on. The second pressing runs at about 110–120 °C for MR glue and 130–145 °C for phenolic WBP. That flat, calibrated base is why a thin poplar face stays smooth after paint.
Sheet weights follow from the core density times the sheet volume.
Related: Thin panels of 3–6 mm, Eucalyptus core.
Glue and emission
No. A poplar face soaks up water like any veneer, so what a panel survives depends on the glue line under it. For painted and laminated furniture in dry rooms we press with UF glue at E0 emission. Kitchens and bathrooms take melamine-fortified MR glue, outdoor parts take phenolic WBP, and every panel near water still needs sealed edges.
| Glue | Use it for | Emission |
|---|---|---|
| UF (standard), at E0 emission | Painted cabinets, wardrobes and lamination substrates in dry rooms | E0; ASTM D6007 chamber averages 0.014–0.032 ppm, April 2025 – June 2026 |
| E1 | Interior parts where your market specifies E1 | E1 |
| MR / melamine-fortified | Kitchen and bathroom carcasses, humid rooms, 12-hour boil specs | To the emission class on your order |
| Phenolic WBP | Outdoor fittings and exterior parts with sealed edges | To the emission class on your order |
A poplar face is thin and pale, so the glue has a second job: it must not show. We spread it evenly and press at controlled heat. No glue bleeds through to stain the cream face or raise spots under thin paint. That matters most on 0.3 mm faces going onto HPL or foil lines, where any spot shows as a bump.
On the order, write the glue and the emission class as two items. The glue sets how the bond copes with damp, and the emission class sets how much formaldehyde the board gives off. Our UF interior glue at E0 emission passes a boil of about six hours on the sample. Ask for melamine-fortified glue where your spec names a 12-hour boil, and for phenolic WBP for parts that live outdoors.
The emission numbers are chamber results, not a label. Between April 2025 and June 2026 Shanghai Hongjun and ICTT Vietnam ran six third-party tests to ASTM D6007 on 9, 15 and 18 mm panels, with averages of 0.014–0.032 ppm. That is well under 0.05 ppm, the CARB Phase 2 and TSCA Title VI ceiling for veneer-core hardwood plywood, and E0 is retested every 3 months.
For EU furniture makers the same results back REACH entry 77, which covers furniture and wood-based articles from 6 August 2026. Importers in Europe take the CARB P2 / TSCA Title VI certificate and the chamber reports as proof. Where a customer insists on a European method such as EN 717-1, SGS tests our panels to it on request.
Drawing names a service class? EN 636-1 means dry interiors, EN 636-2 humid interiors and EN 636-3 exterior; we press with the glue that fits it.
Related: how much formaldehyde the panel releases, CARB Phase 2 and TSCA Title VI limit, hardwood plywood with a veneer core, CARB composite wood products programme.
Sizes and cutting
Poplar plywood sheets come in 1250 × 2500 mm, the usual European format, and 1220 × 2440 mm for buyers working in feet. Any thickness from 3 to 40 mm is pressed in both. We also press custom formats such as 1220 × 2500 mm and 1220 × 2280 mm. On request we cut one panel into 4, 6 or 8 pieces ready for your line.
| Standard sheets | Both standard formats in any thickness from 3 to 40 mm |
|---|---|
| Custom formats | Pressed to your size up to the European format |
| Tolerance by dimension | Thickness down to ±0.2 mm on sanded furniture panels; length and width ±2 mm |
| Cut to size | One panel cut into 4, 6 or 8 pieces, packed by part, with the face grade and tolerance of the full sheet |
| Machining | CNC routing and laser cutting; all plies stitched on request for visible routed edges |
Cut-to-size loads go regularly to Italy and other European markets. The panel is pressed and sanded at full size, then cut, so every piece keeps the face grade and tolerance of the full sheet and arrives packed by part.
Pick thickness by the part. 3–6 mm covers cabinet backs, drawer bottoms, laser-cut parts and models. 9–12 mm suits drawer sides, light shelving and door skins. 15–18 mm is the body and door thickness for most furniture. 21–25 mm and above takes heavy shelves, tabletops and fixtures.
For CNC routing, poplar faces cut cleanly with sharp tooling, and the stitched, calibrated core keeps router depth even from sheet to sheet. Ask for all plies stitched where routed edges stay visible. For packing and lower-cost commercial jobs, the same poplar face is offered on our commercial plywood line at ±0.5 mm.
Applications
Poplar plywood is used where a smooth, pale face will be painted, lacquered or laminated. Typical parts are painted cabinets and wardrobes, HPL and melamine-paper substrates, drawer parts and backs, laser-cut parts, toys and wall panelling. The core is chosen for weight and the glue for the room.
The cream poplar face takes primer and paint evenly, with little grain raising after sanding. Use 15–18 mm on a Styrax core for bodies and doors, an A face where a clear lacquer keeps the wood visible, and B faces under solid paint.
A flat, calibrated poplar panel is a stable base for HPL, melamine paper, PVC foil and decorative veneer. Press both faces with the same material so the panel stays balanced and flat after lamination.
Carcasses, shelves and doors in 15–18 mm keep a wardrobe light to ship and assemble on the Styrax core. Choose melamine-fortified glue for kitchens and bathrooms, and Eucalyptus where the drawing sets a minimum panel density. Thin 3–6 mm sheets of the same order make the backs, drawer bottoms and internal parts.
Thin 3–5 mm poplar plywood is always five plies, so it lies flat and cuts cleanly for laser-cut parts, puzzles, models and children's toys. UF glue at E0 emission keeps emission low for products used indoors.
UV-ready poplar faces for painted wall panels, door skins and store fixtures, finished on site or on your own UV line.
Poplar-faced panels are the wrong choice for boat hulls, structural floors and anything sold as marine plywood. Where a hard, figured natural face is the look, a birch face does better. For concrete formwork, film-faced plywood on a hardwood core does the job, and for crates and pallets our packing plywood costs less.
Compare
Buyers of poplar plywood usually weigh four offers: Vietnamese poplar-faced panels like ours, Chinese poplar or combi-core plywood from Linyi, all-poplar plywood from Italy or France, and birch-faced panels when the face stays visible. The table sets them side by side on what changes the finished part.
| Poplar-faced, Vietnam (Minh Thanh) | Chinese poplar / combi core (Linyi type) | All-poplar, Europe (Italy, France type) | Birch-faced, Vietnam | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | Poplar face and back over a stitched white Styrax or Eucalyptus core, pressed twice | Poplar face over a poplar or mixed hardwood core, often pressed once | Poplar veneer in every ply | Imported birch face and back over our Styrax or Eucalyptus core |
| Weight | About 500 kg/m³ on Styrax, 650–750 kg/m³ on Eucalyptus | Light on poplar core, heavier on combi core | Light, the lightest of the four | About 500 kg/m³ on Styrax, 650–750 kg/m³ on Eucalyptus |
| Face and grades | Plain cream poplar; pairs A/A, A/B, B/B against your sample | Plain cream poplar; codes B/BB, BB/CC, CP | Plain cream poplar; mill grades | Pale birch with figure; D+, D, E |
| Glue and emission | UF glue at E0 emission as standard, chamber-tested to ASTM D6007 at 0.014–0.032 ppm; MR and WBP on order | E0 or E1, with test reports from each mill | EN 717 classes, mostly E1 | UF glue at E0 emission as standard, same chamber tests |
| Thickness tolerance | Down to ±0.2 mm on sanded panels | Set by each mill; ask for the figure on thin panels | Tight, set by the mill | Down to ±0.2 mm on sanded panels |
| Documents | CARB P2 mill no. 23024, chamber reports, EUDR dossier | Varies by mill; ask for the CARB mill number and test dates | EU paperwork; FSC on many lines | CARB P2 mill no. 23024, chamber reports, EUDR dossier |
| Cost level | Mid: below European poplar and birch | Lowest | Highest | Above poplar: imported birch face |
| Best fit | Painted and laminated furniture that needs a flat, stable core | Price-led packaging, light and hidden parts | Lightweight European furniture and caravan ranges | Visible fronts under clear lacquer, shop fittings |
Chinese poplar is the cheaper fit when the part is hidden, light and short-lived: packaging, drawer bottoms, low-cost flat pack. Ours earns the difference where a painted or laminated surface must stay flat. A stitched, calibrated core means no joint lines through foil and fewer rejects on the press. Our own CARB mill number and chamber reports come with every quote.
European all-poplar is lighter still, but costs more and comes from mill stock sizes. We press in the European 1250 × 2500 mm format, in 15–45 days after deposit. When the face stays natural under clear lacquer, birch is the stronger choice; eucalyptus faces are pinkish-brown with interlocked grain and EV gives an even printed-look grain, both on the same cores.
Related: Birch is the face for clear finishes, EV gives an even, repeatable grain, Okoume is a soft pinkish-beige face.
Quality control
Poplar shows every flaw once it is painted, so we check what a paint or laminate line would find: face overlaps, open joints, sand-through, streaks, colour and flatness. Each sheet is held to the sample you approved, and you see photos and clips of your own sheets before the container doors close.
free samples in your thickness, grade pair and core; the sheet you approve is the standard every production sheet is graded against.
overlaps, open joints, sand-through spots and mineral streaks are marked; sheets that fail move down a pair.
faces for clear finishes are sorted for even cream so a run of doors matches.
thickness read at several points per bundle to ±0.2 mm, and sheets laid flat to catch bow before they reach a lamination press.
closed joints, stitched core layers and an even glue line, with the core species confirmed by edge colour or by weighing a sheet on request.
sheets turned over on camera, stack edges and caliper readings filmed and sent to you before loading.
bundles wrapped dry, counted, marked and photographed in the container; your inspector is welcome to attend.
When the container lands, three quick checks tell you the order matches the quote. An 18 mm sheet of 1220 × 2440 mm weighing about 26.8 kg has a Styrax core; 34.8–40.2 kg means Eucalyptus. A caliper on a handful of sheets confirms the tolerance, and a look at bundle edges shows whether the layers are even and the joints closed.
Poplar is pale and soft, so keep it dry and clean until it is finished. Leave the wrap on, stack on level bearers under cover and give the sheets a day or two to settle in the finishing room. Coat or laminate both faces alike and a flat panel stays flat.
Related: checked against the sample you approved.
Certificates and documents
Minh Thanh Plywood holds CARB P2 / TSCA Title VI certification as ICTT mill no. 23024, ISO 9001:2015 and TCVN 11902:2017. We supply the EUDR compliance dossier (origin records and geolocation files) and an SGS packaging test under the EU PPWR. FSC and CE are available*.
SGS, September 2026
Regulation (EU) 2025/40: lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium not detected in all four packaging materials; pass against 100 mg/kg
View document →ASTM D6007; Shanghai Hongjun and ICTT Vietnam
E0 tested every 3 months; 0.014–0.032 ppm on 9, 15 and 18 mm panels
View document →Per order
EUDR compliance dossier: origin records and geolocation files with your order
View document →Available*
FSC-certified poplar plywood on request
Available*
For panels placed on the EU market as construction products
Check a CARB or TSCA claim by the mill number. Ours, 23024, is printed on the certificate issued by ICTT, and the US EPA lists the third-party certifiers recognised under TSCA Title VI. The ISO 9001:2015 and TCVN 11902:2017 certificates carry their own numbers.
The cores are Vietnamese plantation timber grown around Ha Hoa. We supply the EUDR dossier with every EU order, ready for your due diligence statement. Vietnam is classed as low risk under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1093. EUDR applies from 30 December 2026 to plywood importers. There is no EUDR certificate: the importer files the statement and our dossier supports it.
Every container also ships with the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin, plus insurance on CIF terms.
*Supplied directly or through qualified partner mills.
Packing and loading
Light Styrax-core poplar fills a 40HC by space: up to 18 bundles, about 53–54 m³. The heavier Eucalyptus core fills it by weight at up to 15 bundles. A bundle stands about 1,000 mm tall, so an 18 mm bundle holds 55 sheets and a 40HC takes 990 of them.
| Thickness (mm) | Sheets per bundle | Styrax core: sheets per 40HC (18 bundles) | Eucalyptus core: sheets per 40HC (15 bundles) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 333 | 5,994 | 4,815 |
| 4 | 250 | 4,500 | 3,615 |
| 6 | 166 | 2,988 | 2,400 |
| 9 | 111 | 1,998 | 1,605 |
| 12 | 83 | 1,494 | 1,200 |
| 15 | 66 | 1,188 | 960 |
| 18 | 55 | 990 | 795 |
| 25 | 40 | 720 | 570 |
Figures below are for 1220 × 2440 mm sheets. The 18 bundles sit as 16 flat in four rows of four, with two more on edge at the doors. We hold to that plan because overloaded bundle feet crack and an overpacked box has to be stripped by hand at your end.
A pale poplar face marks easily. Each bundle gets a clean protective sheet top and bottom, edge guards under the straps and a dry wrap against water stains. Labels show thickness, grade pair and glue on the bundle end.
Lamination plants often need several thicknesses at once: 18 mm carcass, 9 mm and 3 mm backs. Those mix in one 40HC, each bundled and labelled on its own. Birch or EV panels can share the box. With the Eucalyptus core, 15 bundles take about 43 m³ of space. Our packing calculator works out any mix, and own-brand labels, edge stamps or pallets are done on order.
Sheets per 40HC = sheets per bundle × the bundle limit for each core; bundle height 1,000 mm. Eucalyptus at 650 kg/m³ stays within 28,000 kg of panels, so its bundles hold a few sheets fewer.
Related: Eighteen bundles go in as 16 lying flat.
Trade terms
The minimum order for poplar plywood is one 40HC container, and production takes 15–45 days after the deposit. Payment is 30% deposit with 70% against the scanned B/L. We ship FOB Hai Phong, CFR or CIF, accept mixed loads by agreement and send free samples.
| MOQ | 1×40HC; mixed thicknesses, grades and faces by agreement |
|---|---|
| Production time | 15–45 days after deposit, by quantity and specification |
| Payment | 30% deposit, 70% against scanned B/L; T/T or irrevocable L/C at sight |
| Incoterms | FOB Hai Phong, CFR or CIF |
| Samples | Free samples |
| Documents | Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, insurance on CIF, plus CARB/TSCA, test reports and the EUDR compliance dossier |
| Replies | Within hours, Monday–Friday, Vietnam time (UTC+7) |
Production time runs from the deposit to cargo ready at the factory. Sea transit from Hai Phong is added on top and depends on the destination port and the carrier. On CFR and CIF terms we book the vessel and quote the route with the price.
Thin poplar panels in 4 mm can take longer in busy months, because premium thin veneer is scarce and we do not lower the grade to go faster. Tell us your required arrival date and we plan production backwards from it.
How to order
Most poplar orders start from a spec line and a photo of the sheet you buy now. We quote against it, send a sample in the same pair and core, and once you approve it and pay the deposit the order is pressed, checked, filmed and loaded.
painted, laminated or clear-coated, the grade pair, Styrax or Eucalyptus core, glue, thicknesses, sheet size, quantity and port.
Get a price per m³ for each thickness on FOB Hai Phong, CFR or CIF terms, with every spec line written back to you.
Approve a free sample sheet in your pair and core; it becomes the grading reference on the production line.
Sign the proforma and pay 30% by T/T, or open an irrevocable L/C at sight.
We produce in 15–45 days and send photos, sheet clips and caliper readings before loading.
We load, photograph the container and send draft documents; the scanned B/L follows against the 70% balance.
Name the core on the purchase order, Styrax or Eucalyptus, not just hardwood, and state the pair, for example B/B for a foil line. Add stitching, glue, emission class and test method. Then thickness tolerance, size, UV-ready faces, certificates, packing and labels. The panel that arrives is then the panel you priced.
FAQ
Short answers to the questions importers ask most about poplar plywood from Vietnam. They cover white core, cabinets and CNC work, the comparison with birch, eucalyptus and European poplar, and ordering.
Poplar plywood is plywood with a poplar veneer face: a pale cream, plain-grained wood that sands smooth and takes paint, lacquer and laminates evenly. Minh Thanh Plywood presses poplar face and back over a white Styrax or Eucalyptus core, 3–40 mm thick, for furniture and interiors.
White core poplar plywood is a poplar-faced panel on a pale core, so the cut edge looks light instead of brown. Ours uses white Styrax core veneers, about 500 kg/m³, which give a clean cream edge, a light panel and up to 18 bundles in a 40HC.
Poplar core plywood has poplar veneers inside as well as on the faces. It is the usual build in China and Europe and gives a very light panel. Vietnamese poplar plywood has a poplar face over a Styrax or Eucalyptus core instead. Weight and edge colour then follow the core: about 500 kg/m³ and a pale edge on Styrax, 650–750 kg/m³ on Eucalyptus.
Yes. Poplar-faced plywood is a standard furniture panel for painted, lacquered and laminated parts: cabinet carcasses, wardrobes, drawer boxes, shelving and children's furniture. Use 15–18 mm for bodies and doors and 3–6 mm for backs and drawer bottoms; our ±0.2 mm tolerance keeps hardware holes in line.
Yes, for painted or laminated cabinets it is one of the best-value panels. Order 15–18 mm with an A face on visible fronts, a B back for hidden sides, and melamine-fortified glue for kitchens and bathrooms. The Eucalyptus core suits buyers who specify a denser carcass.
No. Poplar plywood is not waterproof; its resistance to moisture comes from the glue line. Our standard UF glue at E0 emission is for dry interiors. Melamine-fortified MR glue suits humid rooms and phenolic WBP glue suits outdoor exposure, and every panel used near water needs sealed edges and a finish.
Yes. Poplar faces cut cleanly and the thin 3–5 mm panels, always five plies, are widely used for laser-cut parts, models and toys. For CNC work with exposed edges, ask for all plies stitched and a calibrated thickness so the router depth stays the same across the order.
Choose poplar when the face will be painted, foiled or laminated, or when cost per sheet matters most. Choose birch when the natural face stays visible under a clear finish and you want the harder, more figured birch look. We press both faces on the same Styrax and Eucalyptus cores.
Here the word eucalyptus can mean the face or the core. A eucalyptus face is pinkish-brown with interlocked grain; a poplar face is plain cream and the easier base for paint. As a core, Eucalyptus at 650–750 kg/m³ is heavier and denser than white Styrax at about 500 kg/m³.
European poplar plywood usually has poplar in every ply. Vietnamese poplar plywood has a poplar face and back over a Vietnamese plantation core, because Vietnam has no poplar core. Ours uses white Styrax or Eucalyptus, stitched both ways, pressed twice and supplied in the European 1250 × 2500 mm format at a lower cost.
Poplar is quoted as a face/back pair: A/A for clean cream on both sides, A/B for one visible side, and B/B for paint, foil and HPL. Chinese codes B/BB, BB/CC and CP map onto the same ladder. Every pair is graded against a sample sheet you approve.
Yes. Our poplar panels are built for European furniture makers and carry the proof they ask for: CARB P2 / TSCA Title VI under ICTT mill no. 23024 and six ASTM D6007 chamber tests at 0.014–0.032 ppm. SGS tests to EN 717-1 or another European method on request, and each EU order comes with the EUDR dossier.
With a Styrax core, a 40HC takes 18 bundles: 990 sheets of 18 mm, about 53–54 m³. A Eucalyptus core is heavier, so the load stops at 15 bundles of 53, which is 795 sheets of 18 mm, about 43 m³.
One 40HC, which may combine thicknesses, grade pairs and faces. Production runs 15–45 days from the deposit, plus sea transit to your port. Terms are 30% deposit and the 70% balance against a scan of the B/L.
Ask for five things a real mill can send the same day: its own CARB P2 mill number, a chamber test with method and dates, a clip of real sheets turned over, an edge photo naming the core species and a caliper reading. Minh Thanh Plywood sends all five within hours, with free samples.
Request a quote
Tell us the application, core, glue, face grade, thickness, size and quantity, and Lisa replies within hours with a quotation and sample offer. Attach up to 3 drawings or specification files.
Start with the application and we can advise the rest: core, glue and emission class, face and back grade, thickness and sheet size, packing, quantity and your destination port. Email contact@minhthanhplywood.com or WhatsApp Lisa on +84 988 586 601. Free samples.
contact@minhthanhplywood.comRelated: contact the sales team, plywood catalogue.
