HCM CITY — Poland is stepping up efforts to expand its agri-food exports to Việt Nam, focusing on meat, processed food and fruit, while seeking stronger partnerships with local importers, distributors and retailers.

At a press conference and a Việt Nam-Poland business matching event in HCM City on November 10, Polish officials and industry representatives highlighted the country's food production capacity, quality standards and growing trade ties with Việt Nam, expressing confidence in the potential to bring more Polish products to Vietnamese supermarket shelves.

Piotr Harasimowicz, chief representative of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency in HCM City, said bilateral trade had exceeded US$7.85 billion, with imports from Việt Nam to Poland significantly exceeding Polish exports to Việt Nam.

Polish exports to Việt Nam exceeded $240 million in the first half of the year, with key products including dairy and meat, particularly frozen pork and poultry.

Compared with other EU member states, Poland is among the countries that have significantly increased trade with Việt Nam.

The dairy and processed food sectors offer further potential. Under the EU–Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement, tariffs on certain dairy and processed food products are scheduled to be reduced to zero over five to seven years from the agreement's entry into force. This offers Polish producers opportunities to strengthen their competitiveness and expand their presence in the Vietnamese market, he added.

"We should make full use of Việt Nam's free trade agreements and its growing economic integration to further develop Polish trade and investment in this market," Harasimowicz said.

Joanna Skoczek, ambassador of Poland to Việt Nam, said 2026 was an important year for bilateral relations, with closer cooperation between the two governments and stronger engagement between Việt Nam and the European Union.

The recent visit by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to Việt Nam and the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries were expected to give further impetus to economic and trade cooperation, she said.

Poland is one of Europe's major food producers and exporters and has recently emerged as one of the EU's leading exporters of food products to Việt Nam, she said.

Tomasz Parzybut, president of the Association of Butchers and Producers of Processed Meat of the Republic of Poland, said Poland was ready to become a more important and long-term supplier of high-quality meat to Việt Nam.

"We come to Việt Nam not merely as exporters, but as partners seeking to build lasting economic relationships, better understand Vietnamese consumers' needs and develop the market together," he said.

He said Poland's meat industry covered the entire production chain, from farms and modern processing facilities to logistics and international distribution, and operated under the EU's stringent food safety and veterinary supervision systems.

While Polish pork is already sold in Việt Nam, the industry hopes to expand its product range on local supermarket shelves, he added.

Bùi Thị Ninh, deputy director of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry's HCM City branch, said regular business exchanges helped companies better understand each other's markets and develop long-term commercial relationships.

The participating Polish businesses showcased a wide range of products, from meat and processed food to fruit, giving Vietnamese importers, distributors, retailers and food service operators an opportunity to learn about their quality, supply conditions and potential to meet consumer demand, she said.

She expressed hope that the business matching would result in concrete business connections and stronger cooperation between companies from the two countries.

The event was jointly organised by the Polish Embassy in Việt Nam, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency in Việt Nam and the Polish Chamber of Commerce Promotion Centre, as part of the "Taste Europe – Discover the Flavours of Europe!" campaign. — VNS