Delegates cut the ribbon to open the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies in HCM City on February 26. — VNS Photo Xuân Hương

HCM CITY — The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT 2025) opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City on February 26, providing a hub for suppliers and buyers across the entire textile value chain to meet and explore collaboration opportunities.

Organised by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, a global textile trade fair organiser, the second edition of the fair has attracted over 400 exhibitors from 24 countries and regions, with national and regional pavilions from India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, Taiwan (China), and Thailand, together with the new European pavilion.

Running to February 28, the fair showcases a wide range of products and solutions covering the entire textile and garment supply chain, such as fabrics and garment accessories, yarns, fibres, garments, home textiles, technical textiles, nonwovens, textile machinery and solutions and certification services at more than 500 booths.

One of the highlights of VIATT 2025 is the Vietnam National Brand Pavilion, which will provide an ideal venue for local firms to promote their products, seek partners, and demonstrate their leading role in the textile and garment sector.

The event also introduces an Ecology Hub, a dedicated platform for eco-friendly suppliers and service providers to connect with like-minded visitors, and the Innovation & Digital Solutions Zone, a centralised platform showcasing cutting-edge innovations that empower manufacturers to boost efficiency and meet specific market demands.

Fashion shows, seminars and workshops will be held on the sidelines of the fair.

In her speech at the opening ceremony, Phan Thị Thắng, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, emphasised that in recent years, the textile and garment industry has made significant strides and plays an increasingly important role in the country's economic growth.

The industry is one of Việt Nam’s key exporters, accounting for 12-16 per cent of the country’s total export turnover, she said, adding that last year, textile and garment export value reached nearly US$44 billion, an increase of 11.3 per cent compared to 2023.

She underscored that prospects are bright both in the global and domestic markets and along with benefits from 17 new generations Free Trade Agreements that Việt Nam has signed, this year the sector has set an export target of $48 billion, solidifying Việt Nam's position in the global supply chain.

A booth at the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies, which is being held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City from February 26 to 28. — VNS Photo Xuân Hương

To realise the target, she said the industry needs to focus on developing a large-scale, fully integrated production chain, investing in modern, highly automated equipment, adopting digital transformation, implementing real-time automated management, and promoting green, clean, and environmentally friendly production.

“With the strong participation of businesses from Europe and Asia, VIATT 2025 is expected to continue creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese to connect with international textile and garment enterprises, engage in the global textile production chains, and establish seamless linkages across the value chain from raw materials to final products,” she said.

The event aims to encourage major global brands to transfer technology and management expertise and participate in the process of developing the domestic supply of raw materials, thereby enhancing product value for the products, and contributing to promoting Việt Nam’s garment and textile industry to grow in a green and sustainable manner in line with global trends, she added.

According to Wendy Wen, managing director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, in recent years, Việt Nam has emerged as a key player in the global textile landscape and a top apparel exporter.

“It has become an attractive production hub for textile manufacturers and fashion brands as they seek to diversify their supply chain,” she said. — VNS