The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Da Nang Branch (VCCI Da Nang) recently hosted a meeting with the New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam. The meeting was attended by Mr. Nguyen Tien Quang, Director of VCCI Da Nang, and Ms. Tredene Dobson, the New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, who visited and worked in Da Nang.

During the meeting, both parties shared information about their respective businesses and the market potential of the two countries. Through the discussions, they expressed their interest in seeking opportunities to promote investment cooperation and enhance trade activities in the future.

Ms. Tredene Dobson expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome and the valuable information from VCCI Da Nang. In her capacity as the Ambassador, she aims to act as a bridge for fostering a strong cooperative relationship between the two sides and proposed building a program to connect businesses through an online platform.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Quang, Director of VCCI Da Nang, presented a souvenir gift to the New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, Ms. Tredene Dobson.

"At the same time, to prepare for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2025, VCCI Da Nang needs to collaborate with New Zealand's agencies and organizations to organize activities to connect with business delegations in New Zealand, inviting them to visit and work in Da Nang," proposed Ms. Tredene Dobson.

During the discussions, Mr. Nguyen Tien Quang, Director of VCCI Da Nang, expressed his desire to further enhance trade and investment activities and foster business connections between the Central Highlands and New Zealand in various fields. Specifically, businesses can explore and collaborate in areas such as tourism, agriculture, education, as well as cooperate in developing ports, logistics, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Quang believes that the various free trade agreements in which both countries are members, such as the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), provide a foundation and opportunities to promote trade and investment cooperation between the business communities of both countries. However, the utilization of these opportunities by businesses on both sides is still modest, especially in the Central Highlands - Tay Nguyen region, where the engagement with New Zealand is even more limited.

"Therefore, there is a need for more concerted efforts from relevant agencies and the business communities of both sides to implement specific solutions and actions to effectively exploit these opportunities in the future," acknowledged the Director of VCCI Da Nang.

According to research, New Zealand is currently one of Vietnam's important strategic partners in the economic and educational sectors. In 2022, the bilateral trade turnover reached nearly 1.3 billion USD. New Zealand ranks fourth among the top five countries with significant fruit and vegetable exports to Vietnam, holding a 7% market share.

Additionally, food and beverage products also constitute a majority of New Zealand's exports to Vietnam. In 2022, New Zealand officially opened its market to import citrus products from Vietnam, such as pomelos and lemons, alongside fruits that were already present in this market, such as dragon fruit, rambutan, and some other items.

Regarding future plans, both countries are looking to further promote promotion activities and open up their markets, including agricultural products, to raise bilateral trade turnover to 2 billion USD by 2024, representing a 35% increase compared to 2022.

Source: Tuan Vy (Business Forum Magazine).