Belgian start-up brings Vietnamese coconut water to EU consumers

August 12, 2021 - 07:50

Canned pure fresh coconut water Cocoxim of Bến Tre Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Betrimex) has become popular among consumers in Belgium for several years.

Canned pure fresh coconut water Cocoxim. — Photo Betrimex

BRUSSELS — Canned pure fresh coconut water Cocoxim of Bến Tre Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Betrimex) has become popular among consumers in Belgium.

This product is imported directly from Việt Nam by the Belgian firm South Export Alliance and distributed in Belgium, France and the Czech Republic.

François Colonval, manager of South Export Alliance, said that he founded the company in 2016 with a hope to introduce Việt Nam’s fresh coconut water to Belgian consumers.

South Export Alliance is the exclusive distributor of Cocoxim coconut water for all Asian restaurants and some supermarkets in Belgium, and also exports this kind of product to France and the Czech Republic. Every few months, the company imports from Betrimex a container weighing 25 tonnes.

Since the European Union-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) officially took effect with preferential tariffs offered for Vietnamese agricultural products imported into the European market, South Export Alliance has conditions to expand business opportunities in importing goods from Việt Nam. Along with coconut water, Colonval has also imported other products such as rice paper and dried vermicelli.

He sees many advantages when looking for partners in Việt Nam to import goods with incentives from the EVFTA.

Currently, Colonval is working with large Belgian customers to import other Vietnamese food and beverage products such as Hanoi beer and Saigon beer because he wants Belgian customers to enjoy the taste of Vietnamese beer even though Belgium is the kingdom of beer. — VNS

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