Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bùi Văn Nghị (right) meets with President of the Brazilian Association of Soybean Producers (Aprosoja) Mauricio Buffon in Brasilia. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has strong demand for soybeans, corn, cotton, and iron ore to support feed production, textiles, and metallurgy, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Bùi Văn Nghị during a recent meeting with Mauricio Buffon, President of the Brazilian Association of Soybean Producers (Aprosoja), in Brasilia.

The meeting aimed to strengthen agricultural, industrial, and trade cooperation between the two countries.

The diplomat highlighted Brazil’s role in ensuring stable and strategic agricultural supplies for Việt Nam.

Noting the high complementarity of the two economies, he said Việt Nam is a dynamic production and processing hub in Asia with strengths in electronics, textiles, footwear, aquatic products, and processed agricultural products, connecting Brazil and other South American countries with the ASEAN market of nearly 700 million people, the Indo-Pacific region, and southern China.

Brazil, meanwhile, is a global agricultural powerhouse, leading the export of soybeans, corn, beef, poultry, cotton, and iron ore, offering Việt Nam opportunities to expand economic, trade, and investment ties with and access MERCOSUR and other Latin American markets.

The ambassador expressed Việt Nam’s desire to increase the export of aquatic products, cashews, wood items, processed farm produce, apparel, mobile phones, computers, and electronic components to Brazil.

He also stressed the importance of a free trade agreement between Việt Nam and MERCOSUR and called on Brazil, as the 2025 rotating chair, along with its industrial and agricultural associations, to support the process to establish a comprehensive legal framework for trade, investment, and sustainable development cooperation.

Mauricio Buffon said Brazil views Việt Nam as a strategic partner in Southeast Asia and believes that with the strong political-diplomatic foundation and economic potential, the two countries will continue to expand cooperation in agriculture, processing, and agri-trade, helping promote a practical, balanced, and sustainable Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

He noted that Aprosoja serves as a bridge between producers, exporters, and international markets, with Việt Nam considered a top potential partner in Asia.

Currently, Brazil is Việt Nam’s largest soybean supplier, accounting for 57.2 per cent of total imports. In the first eight months of this year, Việt Nam imported 1.81 million tonnes of soybeans, with Brazil supplying over 57 per cent. — VNS