VOV.VN - Export-Import Agency under the Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with relevant agencies have invited rice importers from China to visit Vietnam between May 6 and May 10 to strengthen connectivity by participating in rice trade promotional events.

According to the Export-Import Agency, a Chinese delegation headed by a member of the China Food Association will include 20 representatives from importing businesses. 

Under the working schedule, the delegation will take a fact-finding tour of a number of rice grinding and processing facilities of local businesses in the provinces of An Giang, Long An, and Dong Thap. They are also to attend a seminar on trade exchange in An Giang province on May 9. 

A representative from the Export-Import Agency noted that over the past time, the MoIT has deployed a number of trade promotion programs. For example, between the 2016 to 2018 period, the MoIT invited four delegations from Chinese rice importers to undertake fact-finding tours of Vietnamese localities. 

These programs offered a good opportunity for the importers to learn about the quality of Vietnamese rice, as well as the strong capacity for production and facilities among Vietnamese businesses, thus helping Chinese businesses to gain an insight into the nation’s rice production and processing activities. 

Notably, China topped the list of the country’s rice importers in 2018. However, during the first quarter of the year, the Philippines surpassed China to become Vietnam’s top rice importer with a market share of 40.2 per cent. 

The visit by the Chinese rice importers aims to open up a wealth of opportunities for domestic rice firms to make further inroads into the Chinese market in the future.