The Covid-19 pandemic has not ended, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a recent development that makes it difficult for Vietnamese exporting enterprises to expand their markets.Trade promotion problems of the commodity industries put a burden on Vietnamese trades abroad…

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said that Vietnam relies heavily on foreign trade, especially exports play an important role in the country’s economic development, so the promotion of foreign trade needs to be focus.

Hunting for big buyer

Mr. Dak Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of Vietnam Vegetable Association (VINAFRUIT), commented that due to the epidemic, participating in trade promotion programs in 2020 and 2021 with difficulties that cannot be directly implemented has limited the ability to find and expand the market of our country’s enterprises.

In 2022, the Government’s implementation of the policy of opening up the economy and international trade flights will contribute to helping fruit and vegetable exporting enterprises to have direct contact with potential partners in other countries, giving them more opportunities to expand their export market share.

However, according to VINAFRUIT representative, when the Government expedited the issuance of vaccine passports, the work of applying for visas was quickly facilitated. The Association also suggested that traders interested in organizing conferences and seminars at fairs or at embassies for Vietnamese enterprises to participate in trade promotion (trade promotion) have the opportunity to meet foreign partner enterprises or local authorities to connect trade in Vietnamese fruit and vegetable products.

For some key markets and areas of Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports such as the US market, the Association suggests that trade should look for American enterprises capable of consuming Vietnamese fresh fruit and vegetable products that have been allowed to export to the US, along with processed goods to connect with Vietnamese enterprises with appropriate supply capacity.

For the EU market, Nguyen proposed that EU traders should emphasize the role of information, networking, finding capable EU enterprises to introduce to domestic enterprises, moving towards trading fresh vegetables and long-term processing.

Particularly for the large Chinese market, trade should strive to promote Vietnam’s key commodities in this market, contributing to national branding, promoting trade between Vietnamese enterprises and large Chinese companies and corporations in order to contribute to increasing the export rate.

Currently, Vietnamese pepper is available in 110 markets in the world, headed by the EU, Americas, the Middle East… Vietnam’s pepper production capacity reached about 200,000 tons in 2021.

Ms. Hoang Thi Lien, President of the Vietnam Pepper Association, also agreed to affirm, trade connected with large buyers, potential wholesalers, supermarkets to convince them to care about Vietnamese pepper more.

Timely update of technical fence changes

In addition to finding potential partners, the associations emphasized that the technical fencing issue also needs to be updated regularly for exporting enterprises to have timely response solutions.

Applications such as changes in the US technical fence as well as plant quarantine for Vietnamese fruit and vegetable products exported to this market.

With the Chinese market, according to Nguyen, it is necessary to promote the early signing of the Plant Quarantine Protocols for 8 main Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports to reduce the Chinese inspection rate. Promoting to contribute to opening up more markets for some fruits and vegetables of our country such as durian, string lemon, seedless lemon, grapefruit, na dai…

At the same time, timely information on changes (if any) in regulations on food hygiene and safety, the issue of Chinese phytosanitary inspection and quarantine, new import and export policies apply… to avoid damage to Vietnamese enterprises due to unexpected and volatile situations such as container congestion at the previous and current borders.

Regarding the EU market, promptly notify exporters of changes in MRL residues of EU imported fruit and vegetable products. Trade with the EU customs authorities to reduce the MRL sampling rate for Vietnamese vegetables such as dragon fruit, mango… helps businesses release goods early to avoid increasing warehousing costs.

In particular, support Vietnamese enterprises in commercial disputes or trademark copyright infringement if any.

Emphasizing the challenge for the steel industry in the coming time, it is the global surplus of steel supply; the rising protectionist trend in the world, including the steel production industry, Mr. Dinh Quoc Thai, Secretary General, Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) is concerned, the risk of facing trade defense cases for Vietnam’s export steel products in importing countries. In the period since 2004 – March 2022, the number of foreign steel export lawsuits of Vietnam is 66 cases.

The US is an important market in both dimensions of the timber industry. The US is also the largest market of Vietnam’s timber industry, accounting for 64% of Vietnam’s total timber exports, but Vietnam is also the second largest consumer of imported wood materials from the US after China.

Therefore, Mr. Ngo Sy Hoai, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association (VIFORES), suggested Vietnam’s trade in the United States early warning of trade defense measures in this market so that domestic enterprises prepare complete dossiers and deal effectively with investigation measures.

Promoting the Vietnamese brand

In addition, the issue of branding Vietnamese products in foreign markets is also extremely important to enterprises. According to Nguyen, foreign traders need to promote, build and advise on national brand protection for Vietnamese agricultural products and vegetables as well as businesses to avoid being violated, such as ST-25 rice.

Mr. Hoai wants Vietnam’s trade abroad to convey the message that Vietnam is becoming the world’s leading wood product processing and export center.

The Vietnamese timber industry hopes in the next 3 years to become one of the major wood product processing and manufacturing centers in the world. At the same time, it is determined to develop a sustainable wood industry with clean and legal materials.

With the Japanese market, Vietnam exports many wood chips, biomass tablets, wood-based boards… All these products, Vietnamese wood enterprises are working to meet the quality of clean wood. But there is still some doubt and misunderstanding that Vietnam does not guarantee clean wood so the past time has been clogged by several trains of biomass wood tablets.

The Timber Association is willing to provide documents proving that Vietnam only uses wood materials from planted forests, with a reliable supply of clean materials for production and processing to the Japanese market.

Vietnam’s crude steel production is at the top of Southeast Asia and ranked 12th in the world. Currently Asean is Vietnam’s traditional and largest steel export market with 26.8%, followed by China, EU, US, Taiwan (China).

Therefore, Thai would like to participate in connecting your country’s demand for steel products with the Vietnam Steel Association and prestigious domestic steel exporting enterprises.

It is necessary to hold an annual dialogue to facilitate the association and the business to interact with the businesses on your side. Support steel enterprises to promote products through catalogues or send Vietnamese trade promotion groups abroad to learn and expand markets. Provide and update information on preferential import and export regulations and procedures; export procedures of annual potential markets…

Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Trade Promotion Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), affirmed that even Vietnamese participants abroad did not think that the production capacity of the Vietnamese steel industry was as large as it is today.

Therefore, according to Mr. Phu, foreign ambassadors need to support the organization of foreign business delegations to Vietnam for field visits at domestic steel production and processing facilities.

Because only “seeing with your own eyes, touching with your own hands” helps foreign customers understand the Vietnamese steel industry. Conversely, enterprises and the Steel Association need to provide communication materials for the participants so that the partners can better understand the Vietnamese steel industry.

Source: VNEconomy