Record number of Philippine businesspeople coming to Viet Nam to seek partners

Following the success of the “Connecting International Supply Chains 2024” event, from 4–6 September 2025 the Ministry of Industry and Trade will coordinate with the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to organize the “Connecting International Supply Chains 2025” series (Viet Nam International Sourcing 2025), with the aim of promoting linkages between foreign distribution channels, importers and domestic manufacturing and exporting enterprises.

This is an important activity jointly organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and its partners from 2023 to the present in order to implement the Scheme “Promoting Vietnamese Enterprises’ Direct Participation in Overseas Distribution Networks to 2030”, approved by the Prime Minister under Decision No. 1415/QĐ-TTg dated 14 November 2022, with the following key objectives:

First, to develop export and import markets, ensuring sustainable growth in the long term.

Second, to encourage Vietnamese enterprises to participate more strongly in global production, supply and distribution chains, and to export directly into overseas distribution networks on the basis of leveraging their strengths and fully exploiting the competitive advantages of Viet Nam’s export goods.

Third, to build close strategic cooperative relations between Vietnamese manufacturing and exporting enterprises and foreign distribution networks across traditional export channels and e-commerce channels, moving toward a stable and sustainable production–export–distribution model.

Fourth, to help change production thinking and organize production in a more methodical, sustainable way, thereby enhancing enterprises’ long-term competitiveness; attracting domestic and foreign investment into green, clean and sustainable production; promoting the processing of high-quality export goods with high added value; and building the image of Viet Nam as a country capable of supplying large volumes of goods that meet quality standards and enjoy high credibility.

Philippine business delegation at Viet Nam International Sourcing 2024

To successfully implement the event, under the direct direction of Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, right from the beginning of 2025 Viet Nam’s overseas trade offices have been proactive in introducing, promoting, inviting and organizing delegations of foreign purchasing enterprises in their host countries to come and take part.

Speaking exclusively with a reporter from Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Phung Van Thanh, Commercial Counsellor and Head of the Viet Nam Trade Office in the Philippines, said that from the first months of 2025 to date, the Trade Office has taken the initiative and actively coordinated with the Philippines–Viet Nam Business Council under the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) to disseminate information, promote the event and organize a delegation of representatives of Philippine enterprises, importers, buyers and distribution groups to travel to Viet Nam to attend Viet Nam International Sourcing 2025.

As of 19 August 2025, a total of 105 individuals representing more than 40 Philippine enterprises had registered to come to Viet Nam to attend Viet Nam International Sourcing 2025.

“This is a record of records – the first time such a large number of Philippine businesspeople have registered to join an international supply-chain connection event held in Viet Nam,” Commercial Counsellor Phung Van Thanh noted, adding that this figure far surpasses the previous record of 70 delegates representing more than 20 Philippine enterprises that came to Viet Nam to attend Viet Nam International Sourcing Expo 2024.

An attractive investment destination for international businesses

The Philippine business delegation coming to Viet Nam this year spans a wide range of sectors and fields, such as logistics and transport services; pharmaceutical manufacturing; food production; hotel and restaurant services; e-commerce supply chains; training services; aviation services; hospitals and education; healthcare services; housing services; the paper industry; e-commerce and retail; distribution of seafood and aquatic products; distribution of agricultural products; distribution of retail food and fast-moving consumer goods; and the production and distribution of plastic products, among others.

Among them are many large Philippine enterprises and groups, such as: EDL Group; Airspeed Group of Companies; SPD Group; Lloyd Laboratories; MH Food Group; Go Food Ventures; Prestige Paper Products; Executive Genesis Services; Helix Software Technologies; member enterprises of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce – South Luzon; AM-Europharma Corporation; DM Global; Romac Services and Trading; KPP Powers Commodities; AgriPanalo; member businesses of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Quezon City; member businesses of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Lipa Branch; and member enterprises of the Philippine Exporters Confederation – Philexport.

Commercial Counsellor Phung Van Thanh stressed that this record number of Philippine enterprises attending Viet Nam International Sourcing Expo 2025 shows that Viet Nam is becoming an ideal destination for Philippine companies seeking to explore and tap opportunities for trade cooperation and to find sources of goods to meet the growing needs of Philippine consumers.

This outcome is also the fruit of tireless efforts and activities by the Viet Nam Trade Office in the Philippines, overcoming all difficulties, with the guiding principle of promoting and introducing the image of a friendly, authentic Viet Nam and its people to the Philippine public and the international community through every fair, exhibition and “Viet Nam Goods Week”.

At the same time, the Trade Office has been promoting and introducing Viet Nam’s socio-economic development achievements and the high-quality, delicious products made by the Vietnamese people, thereby helping to erase prejudices and ideological preconceptions held by some in the Philippines and elsewhere about Viet Nam, its people and its products—views they may have had in the past without having the opportunity to experience reality and change their perceptions. This, in turn, contributes to promoting Viet Nam–Philippines cooperation.

Regarding the specific programme for the Philippine business delegation in Viet Nam, the Viet Nam Trade Office in the Philippines said the delegation’s activities will focus on four main components:

First, visiting and exploring market potential.

Second, meeting state management agencies and attending an investment promotion and B2B trade promotion conference between Philippine and Vietnamese enterprises (expected to be held on 3 September 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City).

Third, participating in the Viet Nam International Sourcing 2025 series of global supply-chain connection events.

Fourth, taking part in B2B meetings with Vietnamese enterprises and field visits to actual production facilities and factories.

It can be said that 2025 is a year of outstanding success for the Viet Nam Trade Office in inviting and bringing Philippine business delegations to Viet Nam to attend domestic fairs and exhibitions and to seek partners and customers.

Huu Hung

Previously, at Viet Nam International Sourcing 2024, the Viet Nam Trade Office successfully invited and organized a delegation of 70 delegates representing more than 20 enterprises, including member companies of the Philippines–China Chamber of Commerce and member enterprises of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Quezon City.

In addition, 2025 is also a year in which the Viet Nam Trade Office in the Philippines has successfully organized many exhibitions, fairs and “Viet Nam Goods Weeks” in the Philippines across multiple fields—from construction products and services, electrical household products, security and safety products and services to agricultural products, aquatic and seafood products—welcoming numerous visitors to learn about and sample products such as cashew nuts, instant coffee, confectionery and more. These activities have created opportunities for Philippine consumers and international friends to experience the unique flavours of Vietnamese products.