A forum on opportunities for Vietnamese handicraft products has taken place as part of the MIDA – Florence International Crafts Fair 2023, which runs in Italy from April 25 to May 1.
Visitors to the Vietnamese space at the MIDA - Florence International Crafts Fair 2023 in Italy (Photo: VNA)
Rome (VNA) – A forum on opportunities for Vietnamese handicraft products has taken place as part of the MIDA –Florence International Crafts Fair 2023, which runs in Italy from April 25 toMay 1.
Co-organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy and theVietnam Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture (AGRITRADE), the event gatheredleaders of European and Italian craft associations, as well as Italian experts and businesses in thefield.
Addressing the forum, Duong Phuong Thao, Trade Counselor atthe embassy, informed participants that diverse handicraft products from acrossVietnam, which are produced fromnatural materials that are sustainably exploited locally, have so far made their presences in163 countries and territories around the world, with the EU named their secondlargest market after the US. In Italy, the goods are increasingly popular, with the turnover of several products, such as bamboo-rattan products and carpets, have grownby double digits.
Nguyen Thi HoangYen, deputy head of the Vietnamese Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development,said the sector is not only a production area with important contributions tocreating incomes and jobs for rural people, but also an industry imbued with thenational cultural identity.
President of the World Crafts Council Europe Elisa Guidi said Europe'sgreen development trend is a great opportunity for handicraft products.
She recommended the Vietnamese handicraft sector come up withcommunication measures to help consumers understand the art story behind each product and encourage young people to choose handicrafts as a career directionin the future.
Participating Italian experts held that Vietnam's handicraft has all the key factors serving its further success. They suggested theindustry be developed based on three core values of ensuring contemporarity,sustainability and originality, meeting specific tastes of their targetmarkets.
The annual fair attracted more than 500 exhibitors from over50 countries worldwide, including Vietnam./.
Nearly 40 Vietnamese firms are introducing their handicraft products like rattan, brocade and earthware items at the 2018 L'Artigiano in Fiera in Milan, Italy.
Vietnamese producers of natural and environmentally friendly gift and handicraft products are exhibiting their wares at a fair that opened in Singapore on July 10.
To enhance the value of Vietnamese handicrafts, especially lacquer products, two young men have started their own business creating lacquer phone cases.
Eight Vietnamese handicraft exporters are introducing their products at the NY Now exhibition that is underway in New York, the US, with the participation of about 950 businesses from 35 countries.
With trends in sustainable and environmentally-friendly consumption on the rise, goods made from bamboo are finding increasing popularity among European consumers. The Dilles & Karilles (Dil & Ka-rin) chain store in the Belgian capital Brussels offers a wide range of bamboo and rattan crafts imported from Vietnam, and they have been warmly received by customers.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
According to NordCham Vietnam Chairman Thue Quist Thomasen, the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to green and sustainable growth.
The analysis from an investment perspective shows that the economy’s growth has been heavily capital‑driven, yet efficiency remains low as reflected by Vietnam’s Incremental Capital-Output Ratio (ICOR) being significantly higher than global and regional averages. This underscores the imperative to enhance capital‑use efficiency.
Visitors to the Vietnamese space at the MIDA - Florence International Crafts Fair 2023 in Italy (Photo: VNA) 
