Hanoi (VNA) - In 2025, Vietnam’s export activities are expected to continue to face numerous challenges such as trade wars and rising protectionism, as well as stricter requirements for green🌜 production, product quality, and delivery time. As a result, trade promotion has become a useful tool to help businesses overcome💜 adversities.

Positive contribution to export activities

On December 1, the Central Highland province of Dak Lak exported its first container of finished roasted coffee under the MISS EDE brand to the US. This is a fully processed product packaged in Vietnam, not raw materials or contract manufacturing. The company shared that thanks to participating in national and international trade promotion programmes, MISS EDE was able to access markets like Thailand, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and the US. Beyond agricultural products, other sectors have also maintained traditional markets and reached new customers. In 2024, Vietnam's wood industry reached over 17 billion USD in export value. The US was the largest market while other big importers included China, Japan, the RoK, and the EU. Particularly, Vietnam exported deeply processed and value-added wood products to the US, while it sold mainly wood chips, some semi-industrial, preliminarily processed, and simply processed items to the other four. Vice President of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association Nguyen Sy Hoa said thanks to support from Vietnam’s trade offices abroad, the association has continuously provided market information updates for its members, helping them better identify opportunities and risks in these markets.

Despite direct impacts from the global market last year, the steel industry also managed to recover thanks to support from the Government and ministries in tackling difficulties facing the real estate market and accelerating public investment projects. In 2024, finished steel output rose 6% to reach 29.3 million tonnes, with 8.3 million tonnes exported, up 4% from 2023. Aside from efforts by businesses themselves, Dinh Quoc Thai, Vice President of the Vietnam Steel Association, also emphasised support from the Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade in boosting trade promotion, market surveillance, energy efficiency, trade remedies, helping businesses surmount difficulties.

Unlocking new markets

Despite many challenges in 2024, Vietnam's total import-export turnover reached 786 billion USD, with exports hitting 405.5 billion USD, up 14.3%. Exports of manufacturing – processing industries, especially electronics, textile – garment, and leather – footwear, continued to grow well in key markets such as the US, the EU, the RoK, and Japan. Agro-foresty-aquatic product exports reached a record of 62.5 billion USD, up 18.7% from 2023, with strong growth in categories such as fruits and vegetables, aquatic products, coffee, rice, and wood products.

To achieve the economic growth target of at least 8%, the export growth must be 12% or higher in 2025. To that end, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang emphasised the key role of Vietnam's overseas trade offices and trade promotion centres in assisting businesses to access markets, resolving challenges, and promoting trade cooperation.

The MoIT leaders urged industry associations to proactively identify business difficulties, inform the ministry and Vietnam’s trade offices abroad about their needs, develop suitable promotion plans, and prioritise seizing opportunities from the markets having free trade agreements (FTAs) with Vietnam. Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Belgium and the EU Tran Ngoc Quan recommended businesses step up trade promotion efforts and seek partners to capitalise on this advantage as the EU is about to finalise talks on many FTAs in 2025 and next year. He also called on associations to guide businesses in complying with regulations and enhancing quality and food safety management./.