A teleconference is scheduled to get underway in Hanoi on September 22 in an effort to introduce local agricultural products to various countries globally, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). 

Due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, Vietnamese agricultural
exports have faced hurdles in recent times

The event is expected to offer an ideal platform for domestic firms and foreign importers to gain greater insights into each other’s needs and sign co-operative agreements. This will allow businesses the chance to overcome the challenges caused by the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic and build sustainable business development strategies moving forward.

During the event, over 150 foreign importers are due to conduct online transactions with more than 30 local enterprises, all of which produce and supply agricultural products and foodstuffs.

The participating foreign firms come from 28 of the country’s export markets, including India, Bangladesh, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong (China), Singapore, Myanmar, Japan, the UK, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Algeria, Iran, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, the United States, and Mexico. 

A range of different categories of goods will be introduced to enterprises during the event, including fruit and vegetables, beverages, confectionery, seafood, peppers, cinnamon, instant noodles, and vermicelli. 

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the export of Vietnamese agricultural products and foodstuffs to the global market has faced an array of challenges in recent months.

The first eight months of the year witnessed the country gross US$26.15 billion from exporting agro-forestry-fisheries products, representing an annual decline of 0.9%. 

Of the figure, its key farm produce exports endured a fall of 3.2% to approximately US$12 billion, while livestock exports fell by 25% to US$250 million, and seafood dropped by 5.3% to US$5.2 billion.