More than 60 Vietnamese and Chinese businesses will discuss the trade of agro-fishery and food products between the two sides at an online conference scheduled to take place on June 18, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The event will be jointly held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Chongqing’s Commerce Commission, along with other relevant agencies of both sides.

It will attract businesses specializing fresh fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, seeds, herbs, seafood (dried, frozen and canned), processed food and drinks (coffee, milk, fruit juice) and candy.  

Located in the southwestern region of China, Chongqing is considered an important corridor that connects Southeast Asia with Central Asia and South Asia. Boasting a population of over 31 million and a total GDP of US$72.3 billion by the end of the first quarter, the region is widely regarded as a potential market for Vietnamese export commodities.

Chongqing province imports a large quantity of aquatic products, totaling over 600,000 tonnes per year, mainly freshwater fish and frozen seafood, as well as a huge volume of tropical fruits. At present, several Vietnamese products such as G7 coffee and dried fruits have been able to successfully establish a presence at supermarkets in Chongqing.

According to the statistics released by China's General Administration of Customs, the import-export turnover between Vietnamese and Chongqing enterprises in the first four months of this year enjoyed an increase of 106.2% to more than US$2 billion against last year’s corresponding period.

Most notably, the country’s export turnover to Chongqing witnessed a surge of 135.5% to US$1.8 billion, while Vietnamese import turnover from Chongqing rose by 5.7% to roughly US$240 million compared to last year’s corresponding period.