Berlin (VNA) – A series of exchanges and events to boost linkages and collaboration between Vietnamese and German rubber producers have been held in Germany from April 20-27.

At an trade promotion event on April 21, which saw representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany, the Vietnam Trade Office, and many German rubber businesses, Ambassador Vu Quang Minh highlighted the fruitful relations between the two countries in all fields, especially after more than 10 years of successful Vietnam- Germany strategic partnership.

Currently, Germany is Vietnam's largest trading partner in the European Union (EU), while Vietnam is Germany's largest trading partner in Southeast Asia.

He appreciated the dynamism of Vietnamese enterprises and affirmed the increasingly strong competitiveness of Vietnamese goods, especially after the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) became effective in 2020.

Phan Tran Hong Van, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Rubber Association, said that Vietnam's rubber plantation area is currently 929, 500 hectares, accounting for 7.2% of the world’s total rubber area. Vietnam is currently the third largest rubber exporter in the world, making up 17.4% of the total global rubber trade.

Rubber is a very important industry of Germany, providing products for the automotive, mechanical, and construction industries, she said, noting Germany's high demand for importing natural rubber and rubber products.

According to statistics of the International Trade Center, in 2021, Vietnam was the fourth largest supplier of natural rubber to Germany, with 40,580 tonnes, worth 84.25 million USD.

At the event, Vietnamese and German businesses discussed measures to boost collaboration in the future.

Tobias Boysen, Sales Director of Weber & Schaer GmbH & Co.KG - a major German distributor of natural rubber and rubber products, appreciated the quality of Vietnam's rubber products. He said his group will increase imports of natural rubber, latex rubber and other products from the Southeast Asian country.

Martin Sülzle, head of the Import Department of Blickle Räder & Rollen Group - a distributor of wheels of all kinds, with branches in 120 countries around the world, said that his company has demand for importing rubber products from Vietnam and plans to cooperate with Vietnam in this field.

The Vietnamese delegation also visited a tire factory of Germany's Continental AG - the world’s fourth largest tire manufacturer as well as the headquarters of Weber & Schaer and Corrie Maccoll to learn more about product needs and market trends for Vietnam's rubber export./.