Farmers during coffee harvest in Đắk Lắk Province. VNA/VNS Photo

ĐẮK LẮK The Đắk Lắk Province Department of Industry and Trade organised a promotional event to host foreign business delegations in Việt Nam for sourcing and commerce in the Central Highlands on Sunday.

In his opening remarks, Nguyễn Hải Triều, Deputy Director of the department, noted that the Central Highlands’ climate and soil are well-suited to industrial crops such as coffee, rubber, cocoa, pepper, mulberry and durian, with coffee regarded as the region’s core commodity.

He pointed out that agricultural production remains fragmented and processing capacity limited, with a lack of deep-processing centres resulting in exports being mainly in raw form and therefore low in added value.

Product quality is uneven, increasing exposure to technical trade barriers, while linkages among production actors along the value chain remain weak. In addition, both production and exports are highly dependent on natural conditions and global market fluctuations. Coffee exports rely heavily on Europe and rubber on China, exposing producers to heightened risks and negative impacts when markets become volatile.

He also highlighted broader challenges facing the region’s industrial sector, including shortages of skilled labour, underdeveloped logistics infrastructure, and incomplete facilities. Weak intra-regional connectivity and a lack of coordinated investment have hindered the formation of value chains, creating obstacles for trade promotion and the expansion of exports of goods and services to international markets.

Despite its strong potential, the Central Highlands’ export turnover remains modest. In the two years 2023–2024, following the post-COVID recovery, total exports from the region reached approximately US$4.6 billion, accounting for less than one per cent of Việt Nam’s total export value.

In 2023 alone, exports were close to $3.6 billion, while 2024 recorded about $7 billion, equivalent to just over one per cent of national exports. Agricultural products continue to dominate, with Đắk Lắk leading the region at nearly $1.7 billion in export value, driven largely by sharp price increases in several commodities, particularly coffee.

Expanding market

According to organisers, the promotion is intended to effectively implement regional linkage policies by supporting production, exports, and market access for Central Highlands goods at both regional and international levels. It aims to help local enterprises find partners and expand export markets, while creating opportunities for business networking, experience sharing, brand promotion, product and service development, technological innovation, and improvements in quality and competitiveness in the context of deeper integration.

Through the programme, local enterprises are introduced and directly connected with foreign importers, contributing to the promotion of the Central Highlands’ image, people, investment potential, and tourism appeal. Trade promotion activities are closely combined with investment and tourism promotion, helping attract development resources for provinces and cities across the region. The event is expected to draw more than 20 foreign purchasing, distribution, and import-export companies from China, Singapore, Australia and the Republic of Korea, alongside over 80 supplier enterprises from the Central Highlands.

A key highlight of the promotion is its B2B business-matching sessions, which support enterprises in establishing strategic partnerships and facilitate negotiations on pricing and cooperation terms, with a view to securing high-value orders and long-term contracts. These activities are expected to strengthen linkages, enable more proactive and efficient distribution, ensure stability and consistency in production and supply, and enhance operational efficiency while reducing costs and improving resilience amid intensifying competition.

According to the Đắk Lắk Department of Industry and Trade, the programme will also feature an exhibition area showcasing and promoting goods and services from Central Highlands suppliers to foreign importing enterprises on the sidelines of the main events. VNS