HÀ NỘI — The Trade Office and the Embassy of Việt Nam in China on Tuesday organised a Việt Nam–China agricultural trade promotion conference in Beijing to promote Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products, particularly tropical fruits and processed foods, to major Chinese buyers and retailers.

The event brought together more than 40 Vietnamese and Chinese companies operating in agricultural import, retail, food distribution, and e-commerce.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in China Nông Đức Lai said that China remains Việt Nam’s largest trading partner and top export destination for agricultural and aquatic products.

China currently imports more than US$230 billion worth of agricultural goods a year, with nearly ten product categories each exceeding $10 billion in import value - a market segment where Việt Nam has a strong production and export advantage.

In recent years, Việt Nam's agricultural product exports to China have expanded steadily in both scale and value. However, Lai noted that the marketing of products remains limited, and many Chinese consumers are still unfamiliar with Vietnamese agricultural brands. To bridge this gap, he emphasised the need for more product showcases, brand promotion efforts, and direct trade connections, especially in northern and central Chinese provinces.

Representatives of Chinese businesses praised the quality and market potential of Vietnamese fruits and aquatic products, highlighting popular items such as durian, jackfruit, bananas, coffee, cashews and tra fish.

Many expressed strong interest in building direct trade ties with Vietnamese suppliers, hoping to expand imports and bring more high-quality Vietnamese goods to Chinese consumers.

Several Chinese companies also called on the Vietnamese Government to support stronger bilateral trade cooperation, including facilitating customs procedures and creating more opportunities for direct business engagement.

According to Vietnam Customs, in 2024, Việt Nam’s fruit and vegetable exports to China totaled $4.63 billion, accounting for 64.8 per cent of Việt Nam’s total fruit export value.

Currently, 12 types of Vietnamese fruits are approved for export to China, including mango, dragon fruit, banana, longan, lychee, watermelon, rambutan, jackfruit, mangosteen, durian, passionfruit and coconut.

In addition, both countries are actively working to further open the Chinese market for Vietnamese products, including citrus fruits, avocados, wax apples and lychees.

According to China Customs, in the first half of 2025, China imported $1.35 billion worth of fruits from Việt Nam, totaling nearly 1.37 million tonnes.

Việt Nam currently ranks as China’s largest fruit supplier, accounting for 13.6 per cent of China’s total fruit import value and 28.7 per cent of total import volume. — VNS