A panel discussion as part of the trade promotion conference in Pleiku city, Gia Lai province, on June 5. (Source: VNA)

Adressing the event, Rah Lan Chung, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, highlighted the province’s strengths in agriculture, processing, and renewable energy. He identified Japan and ASEAN as the province’s two strategic markets for export promotion in the time ahead.

This year, Gia Lai has set an export turnover target of 850–900 million USD, with a focus on expanding markets for its key commodities, including coffee, pepper, rubber, fresh fruit, cassava starch, and wooden products.

Japan, in particular, has been designated a priority market due to its stability and stringent quality standards. To capitalise on this, the province plans to support enterprises in improving product quality to meet international certifications such as the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) and Global Good Agricultural Practice (GlobalGAP). It also aims to enhance trade promotion efforts and make full use of free trade agreements (FTAs) to reduce transaction costs and broaden market access.

Introducing the locality’s potential, Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade Pham Van Binh said the locality boasts over 97,000 hectares of coffee, nearly 80,000 hectares of rubber, 13,000 hectares of pepper, and various other high-value agricultural zones. Its agricultural products have been exported to more than 60 countries, including demanding markets such as the US, the European Union, and Japan.

The province is home to several reputable export companies, including Vinh Hiep Co. Ltd., Tin Thanh Dat Co., and Hung Son High-Tech JSC. Notably, L'amant Coffee, produced by Vinh Hiep Co., received the Vietnam Value 2024 title. The company also posted an export turnover of 520 million USD in the 2023–2024 crop year, making it one of Vietnam’s leading coffee exporters.

Despite these successes, Binh noted that exports to Japan remain limited, primarily consisting of raw coffee beans.

Binh expressed hope that the conference would attract greater interest from Japanese businesses, help establish distribution networks, and support the expansion of Gia Lai’s agricultural products into new markets. He affirmed that the department will continue serving as a bridge between local enterprises and international partners, creating favourable conditions for sustainable, effective, and long-term trade and investment cooperation.

Nguyen Anh Son, Director General of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, praised Gia Lai’s efforts in aligning its export strategies with agricultural restructuring. He encouraged the province to further leverage its border trade advantages with ASEAN, invest in logistics infrastructure, develop certified raw material zones, advance value-added processing, and raise the international profile of Gia Lai’s brands.

Son also emphasised the importance of digital transformation, traceability systems, and building compelling product stories as key tools to access high-end markets.

Nine cooperation documents were signed between departments of industry and trade from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to develop clean raw material areas within the framework of the conference. Additionally, six memoranda of understanding were signed between Japan’s NK Holdings Co. Ltd. and businesses in Gia Lai, as well as with the government of Attapeu province, Laos.