Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Technology is creating new ways for Vietnamese businesses to reach international buyers, with digital product data, online storefronts and virtual trade links helping bring Vietnamese goods closer to global markets.
The approach is being promoted under the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW and at Vietnam’s Outstanding Export Products Fair 2026 (HCMC Export 2026), where Ho Chi Minh City will combine digital tools with an “on-the-spot export” model that brings international buyers closer to local factories and production areas.
For small businesses and cooperatives, reaching overseas markets involves more than shipping costs. They also need reliable product information and effective channels to connect with buyers.
Nguyen Thi Van Anh, Chairwoman of Tam Nong Vietnam Cooperative, said the cooperative has exported purple rice to Australia. Digital platforms have helped buyers access information such as production unit codes, production technology, and related specifications, significantly shortening the time needed for initial exchanges.
The Expo Platform, launched on September 29, is expanding this model. Developed by Arobid Technology JSC, it allows businesses to build digital storefronts, showcase products and connect with buyers before, during and after the physical fair.
The platform is scheduled to go live on October 20, two days before the physical HCMC Export 2026 opens.
Arobid Chairman Tran Van Chin said the success of digital trade depends not only on putting products online but also on the quality of data. Updated, standardised and accurate information is increasingly important as AI analyses data and matches businesses with potential buyers.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade is also stepping up efforts to combine online and offline trade promotion.
The city’s exports rose 7.82% year on year to 65.83 billion USD during the first eight months of 2026, Deputy Director of the department Le Van Danh noted, adding that diversifying markets, leveraging free trade agreements, and enhancing product quality, standards, and the capacity to participate in global value chains will be key to boosting the competitiveness of Ho Chi Minh City's goods in the marketplace.
HCMC Export 2026, to be held at WTC EXPO from October 22 to 24, will feature 750 booths covering key export sectors including textiles – garments, footwear, food and agricultural products, Halal food, wood products, handicrafts, household equipment and hand tools.
The fair is being positioned as an “on-the-spot export centre”, bringing international buyers, purchasing groups and distributors directly to production areas.
By leveraging technological solutions and combining in-person with online exhibitions, organisers aim to help Vietnamese products reach a diverse range of customers and markets, Danh said.
So far, 21 delegations with 103 buyers from markets including the US, France, Canada, Hungary, Sri Lanka, Singapore, China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Republic of Korea and Japan have registered to attend.
Huynh Dinh Thai Linh, General Director of WTC Becamex Co., Ltd., said bringing professional buyers directly to production sites will enable Vietnamese businesses to showcase their production processes, capacity and product standards without having to take all trade promotion activities overseas.
As global markets impose increasingly stringent requirements on standards, traceability, sustainability and green transformation, digitalising product data and bringing buyers closer to production sites can help Vietnamese businesses demonstrate their capabilities and meet market-specific requirements.
The combination of technology and direct trade promotion is expected to open new growth opportunities for Vietnamese exports, helping businesses and cooperatives expand markets and integrate more deeply into global value chains./.
