At the meeting, Ambassador Luis Pablo Maria Beltramino introduced Argentina's economic development potential and affirmed that Argentina always attaches importance to economic and trade cooperation ties with Vietnam, and Argentine businesses are also very keen on the Vietnamese market.

The bilateral trade between Vietnam and Argentina has grown well recently, reaching US$4.5 billion in 2021 and US$2.49 billion in the first six months of 2022. Vietnam's key exports to Argentina included telephones, electronics, footwear, machinery and equipment, while its imports from Argentina are agricultural products, garment materials, and furniture.

According to Ambassador Beltramino, Vietnam and Argentina still have a lot of room for further trade ties. He hoped that the two sides will open more markets for new products besides traditional ones and encourage strong private participation in promoting import-export and merchandise diversification.

A delegation of 30 Argentine businesses led by governors of three leading Argentine provinces will come to Ho Chi Minh City to attend the Vietnam Food Expo in November 2022. Most participants have exported their goods to the Vietnamese market and wish to further boost cooperation, import and export.

This event will be a great opportunity for business communities of the two countries to meet face to face, find partners and expand cooperation in areas where the two sides have strengths, he said, adding that this will help raise bilateral trade value and move further towards the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Argentina diplomatic relations. The ambassador wishes to receive coordination and support from VCCI in providing services and organizing B2B meetings with Vietnamese businesses.

Agreeing with the proposals from Argentine Ambassador Beltramino, VCCI President Pham Tan Cong said that Argentina has a strongly developed agriculture with many high-quality products. Meanwhile, Vietnam currently has wooden furniture and electronic products of high quality and competitive prices.

He added, one of the reasons for limited cooperation between the two business communities is the limited availability of market information. VCCI and the Embassy of Argentina need to coordinate to further promote connection and information exchange. Cong suggested that the Embassy of Argentina actively share with VCCI information about market, cooperation and investment opportunities to offer broader information to the Vietnamese business community through VCCI's systems.

Appreciating the upcoming visit by the Argentine delegation in November, VCCI President Pham Tan Cong pledged that VCCI is ready to coordinate with the Embassy and related agencies and organizations to connect businesses of the two sides. The fact that VCCI signed cooperation agreements with the Argentine Chamber of Commerce, the Argentine Export Fund and other organizations will be a solid foundation for VCCI to provide support for businesses in the future.

In addition, he suggested that Argentina create more favorable conditions for Vietnamese businesses to access the Argentine market, especially for Vietnam's strong products such as agricultural products, apparel, furniture and handicrafts. VCCI also has branches in provinces and cities that are ready to help Argentine companies to expand their markets and introduce their products to those regions and localities.