A wide range of instant ramen noodles and rice noodles on display at an exhibition in HCM City recently. Vietnamese exports of frozen foods, instant noodles and instant rice noodles to the UK market enjoy good growth. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Cholimex Food Joint Stock Company, one of the leading manufacturers of sauces, spices and frozen foodstuff in Việt Nam, said the UK is a promising market and its exports to the country has been enjoying steady growth over the past several years.

Đào Thị Minh Diễm, its export marketing supervisor, said the company exports to the UK mainly frozen foodstuff, with Marks & Spencer being an established customer.

The UK accounts for the largest share of Cholimex’s frozen products sales, she said.

“Our exports to the UK increase by 10-15 per cent annually and continue to show bright prospects.”

Cholimex has set a growth target of 15-25 per cent across key markets for 2025, she said. The company currently exports to 32 countries and territories, including the EU, Asia, the Middle East.

Nguyễn Ngọc Bảo, import-export manager of the Bình Tây Food Company, one of the largest food manufacturers in Việt Nam, said exports account for 90 per cent of revenues, with the company’s products being available in all fastidious markets such as the US, Canada, EU, Japan, and South Korea.

Its key products include instant ramen noodles, rice noodles and mung bean vermicelli, with its Phở Ta product line being the top seller.

“We export to the UK mainly instant noodles, instant phở (rice noodles) and instant hủ tiếu (southern-styled rice noodles).”

Exports to the UK account for 20 per cent of the company’s exports to Europe, with existing customers maintaining steady orders year after year, and it is making efforts to expand its markets further, he said.

“Overall, our business performance in the EU remains strong. But due to an economic downturn in the past two or three years there, our exports there remain steady while those to other markets increase by two or three times.”

Both Diễm and Bảo agreed that the UK-Việt Nam Free Trade Agreement, which reduces or eliminates tariffs on many product lines, has offered businesses an advantage in exporting to the UK.

Diễm said: “The agreement has facilitated easier market entry and smoother transactions in the UK compared to non-FTA markets.”

According to experts, with the growing popularity of Vietnamese foods such as phở among the British, Vietnamese exporters can do more to establish recognised brands and geographical indication protection for Vietnamese agri-food products in the market. — VNS