Chief representative Ozasa Haruhiko (centre) of the JETRO Office in Hà Nội visits a booth at the first Glorious Spring Fair on February 6. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The inaugural Glorious Spring Fair 2026 has emerged as a key gateway for the international business community seeking entry into Việt Nam's market.

The presence of numerous foreign delegations, trade promotion agencies, and enterprises at this fair have reflected the promotional and matchmaking efforts of Việt Nam’s trade offices overseas.

On February 6, a delegation from the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), led by Ozasa Haruhiko, visited the fair to explore local exhibition booths. 

The delegation showed particular interest in standout agricultural products produced under VietGAP and organic standards, as well as high-tech processed agricultural goods.

Earlier, a delegation from the China International Import Expo Bureau, led by its deputy director-general Li Guoqing, also visited the exhibition areas, focusing on processed agricultural products and high-tech items. The Chinese representatives praised both the scale and the vibrant atmosphere of the event.

From a business perspective, the fair’s greatest advantage is direct commercial activities. Rather than spending time reviewing documents, partners can immediately assess product design, specifications and origin of raw material regions. 

This significantly shortens the preliminary evaluation process regarding suppliers’ production capacity and readiness for standardisation – an important advantage at a time when international buyers increasingly prioritise on-site inspections to mitigate supply chain risks.

Notably, the fair runs from February 2 to 13 – an unusually long duration for a traditional trade fair. This extended schedule has enabled foreign delegations to conduct more in-depth studies, increase engagement, and broaden their search for partners across product categories.

Việt Nam’s Trade Counselor Tạ Đức Minh in Japan emphasised that fairs and exhibitions such as the Spring Fair serve as important channels for businesses to promote products, understand consumer preferences and expand markets.

As Việt Nam-Japan economic relations continue to deepen, and agreements such as the Việt Nam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) facilitate market access, Việt Nam trade offices play a pivotal role in connecting businesses to the right suppliers.

A similar approach has been observed among Việt Nam trade offices in ASEAN countries. Representatives of trade promotion agencies and the business community in Malaysia said that the fair’s effectiveness should be measured by B2B (business-to-business) matching rates after the event. 

They also highlighted the importance of maintaining connection via digital platforms to prevent buyer–seller relationships from falling apart after the event.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam Trade Office in the Philippines brought a delegation of enterprises to directly inspect agricultural product categories at the fair. 

According to Trade Counselor Lê Phú Cường, allowing partners to 'see and touch' products provides a more realistic assessment of quality, production capacity and order fulfillment capabilities.

Besides inviting foreign business delegations to attend the fair, the trade offices also function as foreign market advisory units. The offices identify product groups with growth potential in foreign countries, and inform requirements on standards, packaging, traceability, labeling and compliance. 

This guidance enables domestic enterprises to adopt appropriate standardisation measures before entering international markets.

With its thematic zoning structure, the Spring Fair offers a comprehensive overview of supply capabilities by region, industry, and processing level. 

This is particularly valuable for international partners seeking stable sources of supply, scalable production, or supply chain development based on raw material regions.

Importantly, the fair not only facilitates commodity transactions but also opens opportunities for supply chain connectivity – from agricultural production and processing to logistics, distribution, and standards compliance. 

The strong interest from trade promotion organisations and foreign business delegations underscores the attractiveness of the Vietnamese market, while also reflecting the proactive efforts of Việt Nam’s trade offices in bringing international partners directly to domestic producers.

Events such as the Glorious Spring Fair 2026 have the potential to become sustainable bridges – helping foreign enterprises enter Việt Nam's market, while creating additional channels for Vietnamese goods to penetrate deeper into global distribution networks. — VNS