HCM CITY — Việt Nam is an important market, the US National Pork Board has said.

“Consumption of US pork here is on the rise, and this trip offers our industry leaders the unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor and build awareness for US pork and pork products with decision-makers,” Craig Morris, vice president of international marketing at the board, said.

He was speaking to the media in HCM City on Monday.

He is one of the officials and  key leaders of the US pork industry who are on a 10-day trip to Singapore, Việt Nam, Hong Kong, and Macau to understand consumer preferences and build relationships with buyers, influencers, retailers, and other key stakeholders.

Michael Skahill, a member of the National Pork Board’s international marketing committee, said Việt Nam was the fastest growing economy in Asia, and consumers here were demanding food products, leading to more demand for pork products, including imported ones.

Morris added that the board’s international marketing strategy was to elevate the outreach and increase the number of direct opportunities to promote US pork on a global basis.

“Our time in Việt Nam will be devoted to gathering the critical consumer insights we need to fully tap into the potential in these exciting, unique markets for US pork, like Việt Nam.”

Last year the US exported over US$12 million worth of pork and pork variety meats to Việt Nam. Việt Nam was the second largest importer of US pork products in Southeast Asia behind only the Philippines.

“Consumers in Việt Nam … are rapidly increasing the proportion of pork in their diets, which provides an opportunity to capture a growing share of that consumption pie if we play our cards right,” Morris said.

Jan Archer of the National Pork Board and the executive committee of the North Carolina state Pork Council, said: “It is important to us that Việt Nam will be one of our partners in the future. That’s why we are here to establish a relationship.

“We see Việt Nam as an important market for us in the future.”

Skahill said the US was looking to be a supplier in a few existing segments and not displace domestic pork in Việt Nam or “damage” the business of Vietnamese traders and farmers.

The visitors said that the trade war between China and the US was not the reason for their presence in Việt Nam, saying that US pork producers and traders have partnered with Vietnamese businesses for many years. — VNS