The ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE 2026) opened on November 5, 2026, in Shanghai, China. With Viet Nam's largest-ever commercial exhibition area at the event, participating Vietnamese businesses have reported encouraging initial results in establishing business connections, identifying potential buyers, and promoting trade cooperation.

On the morning of November 6, Tran Huy Hung, Consul General of Viet Nam in Shanghai, visited the Vietnamese Business Exhibition Area and the Viet Nam National Pavilion. During his visit, he toured the exhibition spaces, met with participating businesses and organizations, and offered encouragement to their representatives.

He commended the Trade Promotion Agency and participating businesses for their preparations and efforts to present a modern, professional image of Viet Nam. He emphasized that CIIE 2026 serves as an important platform for strengthening the presence of Vietnamese products in the Chinese market while advancing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Expanding business connections in the Chinese market

This year, Viet Nam's commercial exhibition area covers 1,000 square meters and brings together 80 businesses from the food and beverage sector, marking the country's largest participation in CIIE to date. In addition, the 132-square-meter Viet Nam National Pavilion showcases the country's economic achievements and potential while promoting investment, trade, and tourism.

Products featured at the expo represent Viet Nam's competitive industries, including processed fruits and vegetables, dairy products, edible bird's nests, coffee, tea, and canned foods. Notably, participating businesses have placed greater emphasis on value-added processing, improved packaging and product design, and compliance with China's food safety and hygiene standards.

During the opening days, the Vietnamese exhibition area attracted considerable interest from visitors seeking to explore products and establish business relationships. Several companies have already made tangible progress in identifying potential partners.

On November 6, Vina T&T Group held a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with MDL Commerce Group Co., Ltd., a company operating in China's food retail and distribution sector and associated with the METRO brand. The agreement creates opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural products to gain deeper access to China's distribution networks and consumer market.

Meanwhile, after two days at the expo, Mekong Herbals Joint Stock Company had established contact with three major potential partners. One of them signed an MOU covering the distribution of health-oriented products and the sourcing of clean fruits and vegetables.

Another partner, specializing in processed powder products, frozen foods, and rice paper, has made plans to visit Viet Nam to inspect production facilities, with projected import demand of up to 15 containers annually. In addition, a major vegetarian food distribution chain in China has proactively scheduled a meeting to explore potential cooperation.

These initial results demonstrate that participation in international trade fairs extends beyond product promotion, generating concrete business connections between Vietnamese enterprises and importers and distributors in the Chinese market.

Diversifying trade promotion channels

Alongside product exhibitions and direct business networking, the Trade Promotion Agency has partnered with Douyin E-commerce to organize a mega livestreaming session at CIIE 2026, promoting Vietnamese agricultural and food products to Chinese consumers.

Combining in-person trade promotion with cross-border e-commerce provides businesses with additional channels to reach potential customers. Rather than relying solely on product displays at exhibition booths, companies can leverage digital platforms to expand promotional outreach, engage directly with consumers, and identify new business opportunities.

This approach also reflects the increasing diversity of distribution methods and consumer behavior in the Chinese market. Participation in e-commerce platforms can help businesses broaden their market reach while complementing traditional export channels and distribution networks.

CIIE is a national-level trade exhibition jointly organized by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. First held in 2018, the expo was established as an initiative to promote an open global economy and contribute to economic globalization.

For Viet Nam, annual participation in CIIE not only helps promote the country's national image, products, and businesses but also provides opportunities to maintain relationships with trading partners, explore market opportunities, and advance sustainable exports to China through official trade channels.

However, the MOUs signed and expressions of import demand recorded at the expo represent only the initial outcomes of business networking efforts. Converting these agreements into actual orders, maintaining stable supplies, and meeting partners' requirements will be the next critical steps in determining the effectiveness of trade promotion activities.