The series of events “Connecting International Supply Chains 2025 – Viet Nam International Sourcing” (VIS 2025), jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, is taking place in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to the Organizing Committee, the scale of VIS 2025 has expanded by 1.5 times, attracting 450 buyer delegations from 60 countries and territories. At the same time, more than 400 Vietnamese enterprises have brought over 12,000 products in such categories as agricultural products, beverages, textiles, footwear and others to participate in business matching activities.

Seizing opportunities from thousands of B2B connections

The Organizing Committee stated that the event is designed under a specialized “sourcing” model, focusing on the concrete purchasing needs of international partners rather than simply displaying products. Accordingly, more than 3,000 B2B (Business-to-Business) appointments were pre-arranged, alongside around 5,000 spontaneous meetings at the booths.

Initial observations on the first day showed that, in addition to familiar sectors such as textiles, footwear and processed foods, Vietnamese beverage products are receiving special attention from many international buyers.

A representative of Dinh Nam Investment Co., Ltd., an enterprise specializing in the production and export of natural food products, said that within the framework of the event, the company had held numerous B2B meetings with major partners and distribution systems. The two sides explored cooperation opportunities and will continue working on details in the coming days.

The representative added that the company had participated in VIS 2023 and achieved positive results, expanding its markets into Asian and European regions such as Russia, the United States, Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand and Ukraine.

Through the meetings, some international partners put forward specific requirements such as adding international certifications (Halal for Muslim markets, Organic for Europe), adjusting packaging volume or including local languages on labels. These are challenges that require enterprises to invest more in processes, costs and time.

“However, we see these requirements not only as difficulties but also as opportunities to improve our production systems, upgrade our products and meet international standards. This will allow us to access more markets, build sustainable credibility and affirm the position of Vietnamese processed agricultural products on the global map,” the Dinh Nam representative shared.

Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Tran My Linh, representative of Lai Phu Company, said that the company’s fruit tea, carbonated drinks and fruit juices with nata de coco have already been exported to Taiwan (China), Australia, Russia, the UAE and others. This is the first time the company has participated in VIS 2025, with the goal of finding retailers, supermarkets and wholesalers to expand its markets.

“We want to step up exports to the U.S. and European markets because our products already meet the stringent standards required to enter these demanding markets,” Ms. My Linh said.

Advantages of connecting with international buyers at a single venue

According to Ms. Linh, participating in trade promotion activities right in the domestic market helps enterprises significantly save costs compared with attending trade fairs abroad. “We hope the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue organizing similar promotion activities, creating more opportunities for enterprises to join the supply chains of major retailers,” she expressed.

Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Chau Giang, Export Specialist at HABECO, believes that participating in a business-matching event in the domestic market brings two main advantages. First, it is an opportunity to promote the company’s diverse product range to local consumers. Second, with regard to export markets, this is an occasion to meet and directly exchange with multiple buyers from different countries gathered in one place.

HABECO currently exports mainly to Germany, France, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

“Enterprises that want to increase export volumes must promote their brand image, but it is impossible to set up an office in every country. Therefore, joining an international supply chain connectivity event right in Vietnam is an opportunity to promote our brand while reducing costs. Events like this are very useful for enterprises in both export and domestic markets,” Ms. Giang assessed.

The Vietnam Trade Office in Hungary and buyers in discussion with Vietnamese enterprises – Photo: TÚ UYÊN

International buyers: “We are looking for friendly suppliers”

As one of the international buyers, Mr. Hemayat, representing KAK Private (United Kingdom), said he had attended many trade fairs in Germany and was very excited to come to Vietnam. He believes VIS 2025 is a gathering place for many large Vietnamese suppliers. Therefore, he is looking for products suitable for the UK market, particularly energy-boosting beverages such as energy drinks.

“At the B2B matching session, some Vietnamese suppliers introduced canned coconut water products. I will present these products to a partner in the UK to explore cooperation opportunities,” Mr. Hemayat shared.

He noted that for Vietnamese suppliers to become partners, they must meet criteria such as good product quality, competitive prices suited to the UK market, reliable delivery schedules and, especially, a friendly and cooperative attitude.

In addition to major groups, the event also attracts buyers from supermarket chains serving Asian communities. Ms. Hoang Ha, Director of Ha Long Food Kft, a company specializing in distributing Vietnamese foods in Hungary, said this is her first time attending the event with the desire to bring more Vietnamese products into this market. Her company is seeking sources of vegetables, rice, dried noodles for pho, spices and beverage products.

“The opportunity for beverage products is very large. We have met with a company producing fruit-based beverages and plan to continue negotiating to bring their products to Hungary within this year. Moreover, with the trend of consuming health-oriented products, drinks made from pennywort powder also represent a big opportunity for Vietnamese suppliers,” Ms. Ha said.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Ha, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Hungary, believes that to penetrate any market, Vietnamese enterprises must proactively conduct research and seek out support channels. According to him, Vietnamese goods hold great potential in European markets. In Hungary alone, strong product lines such as agricultural products, coffee, rice and cashew nuts are highly popular. In particular, ST25 rice is selling very well, along with canned fruit juices.

However, Mr. Ha noted that European consumers are increasingly favoring low-sugar or sugar-free (“zero sugar”) products. Vietnamese enterprises need to grasp this trend to meet demand. In addition, companies entering a market for the first time should offer competitive pricing policies and be willing to accept small orders, rather than only focusing on large-volume contracts.

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