An online workshop was held on August 20, providing training and networking activities to help connect Vietnamese enterprises with foreign distribution networks.

Part of a governmental project to facilitate such links, the workshop was co-organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), giant retail groups such as Aeon, Walmart, Central Retail, and Lotte, and different sector associations.

It attracted the participation of 200 companies in agro-forestry and food processing along with thousands of viewers on its official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said the workshop is one of a series of activities within the project, which aims to bolster the capacity of Vietnamese exporters in terms of production, market expansion, and finance.

COVID-19 is plaguing the operations of companies and supply sources, he said, adding that there is a need for stabilising the supply system and distribution market, particularly regarding goods for daily life, like farm produce and food.

Therefore, increasing exports via large distribution networks is an effective solution, he noted, which could help Made-in-Vietnam products more deeply enter global value and supply chains.

The MoIT has assigned the European-American Market Department to work with a number of major distributors on building a set of guidebooks for Vietnamese companies to improve their production and export capacity.

Ta Hoang Linh, head of the department, said the project aims to not only boost exports but also to build a capable business community that can meet demands from overseas markets.

The ministry has been working to link suitable partners together and to offer consultation services to Vietnamese companies, he said. To save time, both sides can join a chatroom to share details on their products after gaining the necessary information about each other, he added.

Fukui Tomoiaki, a senior manager from Japanese retailer AEON, said the group exported US$268 million worth of Vietnamese goods in the first half of this year. The figure is expected to reach US$500 million for the year as a whole, in line with AEON’s commitment to the MoIT in a cooperation pact on their strategic partnership.

Karim Noui from Central Retail noted that the retailer has held various programmes to date to support Vietnamese farmers and small- and medium-sized enterprises while working to send local products abroad.