The announcement of 100 outstanding businesses selected to participate in the Việt Nam National Pavilion on the e-commerce platform Alibaba.com. — VNA/VNS Photo Uyên Hương

HÀ NỘI — Digital trade promotion activities have been consistently advanced and innovated to effectively adjust to new circumstances, supporting businesses in enhancing production, trade and export.

Vũ Bá Phú, Director of the Việt Nam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, made the statement at an annual international conference on business to business (B2B) direct export and the announcement of the Top 100 featured businesses Việt Nam Pavilion on Alibaba.com held in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

“This is regarded as a prerequisite for the continuation of trade promotion activities in 2024, which will further bolster their role as a liaison between businesses and the market, bringing outcomes, instilling trust and generating momentum for businesses,” Phú said.

The event was jointly organised by VIETRADE and Alibaba.com, the leading global e-commerce platform, aiming to provide support to Vietnamese businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in enhancing their ability to utilise information technology for trade promotion.

He said VIETRADE has dedicated its efforts to research, implement and adapt trade promotion activities based on real-world circumstances. The ministry has also partnered with domestic and international partners to effectively support businesses. The top priority for the ministry is to assist businesses in diversifying their market development channels in this new era.

In fact, the significant digital transformation in trade promotion has brought benefits for Vietnamese export enterprises. These include cost savings, reduced distance and time barriers, accelerated transaction speed and order processing, and increased market access and potential customers. This has made a positive contribution to the country's impressive export achievements.

Alibaba.com is one of the most reputable global e-commerce channels with more than 260 million buyers in 190 countries and territories. This is a potential market for Vietnamese businesses to expand their business scale and sell to customers around the world. VIETRADE highly appreciates the role of Alibaba.com in promoting and organising support, consulting and training activities for Vietnamese businesses to gain more skills and knowledge about online export and thereby conduct sustainable business.

Phú said that in recent years, VIETRADE has co-ordinated with the e-commerce platform to successfully deploy conferences such as B2B International E-commerce Alibaba.com; and conference on strategic business orientation on digital platforms.

The conference also honoured 100 outstanding businesses selected to participate in the Việt Nam National Pavilion on the e-commerce platform. The MoIT is always ready to co-ordinate with relevant ministries, localities and business associations to create favourable conditions and support businesses to do business successfully on Alibaba.com, towards a future of sustainable economic development.

​The process of selecting 100 businesses took place from November 28, 2023 to January 15, 2024, with the goal of finding Việt Nam's most excellent businesses based on 14 evaluation criteria, including product quality, brand reputation, e-commerce level, export potential, business scale, geographical distribution and many other factors.

The programme aims to focus on supporting Vietnamese businesses in building images and promoting product brands, support business connection activities, and increase understanding of Vietnamese products among international customers.

In 2023, the VIETRADE co-ordinated with the e-commerce platform to build and operate the Việt Nam National Pavilion on Alibaba.com.

Mike Zhang, Country Director of Alibaba.com in Việt Nam, said Việt Nam National Pavilion is a special display of typical Vietnamese products. It is also a strategic platform for typical businesses to connect with global consumers, thereby maximising international market potential. Alibaba.com recognises the achievements of these companies and is pleased to help them reach their full potential in the world market.

Vietnamese suppliers selected for this programme would not only benefit from online visibility through the Việt Nam National Pavilion on Alibaba.com but also receive technical support, training and other supports in building and enhancing business profiles on the platform.

In particular, the scope of knowledge sharing covers many aspects of international trade, from e-commerce activities to international shipping, logistics and commercial law. The programme is also expected to open opportunities for export growth for participating suppliers through trade promotion events, buyer-seller connections and mutual learning opportunities, he added.

Nguyễn Anh Vũ, Deputy Head of Digital Government Department under the Việt Nam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency, emphasised the importance of digital transformation as a catalyst for business activities.

“Analysing and implementing smart strategies in e-commerce is a key factor for Vietnamese SMEs to grow strongly in 2024,” he said, stressing the need to use technology for a smart and innovative approach to cross-border e-commerce. — VNS