Bożena Wróblewska, president of the Polish Chamber of Commerce Promotion Centre, speaks at the Việt Nam–Poland business matching event held in HCM City on August 6. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Polish businesses are looking beyond expanding food exports to Việt Nam by sourcing more Vietnamese agricultural products for the European market, highlighting growing opportunities for two-way agricultural trade between the two countries.

The message was delivered at a Việt Nam–Poland business matching event held in HCM City on August 6 under the "Taste Europe – Discover the Flavours of Europe!" campaign. The event was jointly organised by the Embassy of Poland in Việt Nam, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) in Việt Nam and the Polish Chamber of Commerce Promotion Centre.

Speaking at the event, Joanna Skoczek, Ambassador of Poland to Việt Nam, said Poland views the Vietnamese market as a long-term priority and aims to bring more high-quality European food products to Vietnamese consumers.

As a member of the European Union, Poland adheres to some of the world's most stringent food safety and quality standards, she said, adding that Polish food products are among the finest globally.

She noted that Polish products already available in Việt Nam include meat, offal, dairy products, snacks, confectionery and other processed foods. Bilateral trade exceeded US$8 billion last year, with food and agricultural products accounting for around 30 per cent of Poland's exports to Việt Nam.

However, she acknowledged that Việt Nam's exports to Poland have been growing faster than Poland's exports to Việt Nam.

"We would like to see a better balance in our bilateral trade," she said.

The business matching event was intended to expand the presence of Polish food products in the Vietnamese market while strengthening partnerships between businesses from both countries.

Polish delegates answer questions from the media. — VNS Photo

Andrzej Arendarski, president of the Polish Chamber of Commerce, said three-quarters of Poland's food exports are dedicated for the EU markets, reflecting the country's ability to meet some of the world's most demanding food safety and quality requirements.

He described Southeast Asia as a strategic growth market, with Việt Nam standing out because of its rapidly expanding economy and long-standing business ties with Poland.

Arendarski also announced that a Polish-Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce would soon be established to facilitate business partnerships, market information exchange and investment between the two countries.

Highlighting growing emphasis on two-way trade, Tomasz Parzybut, president of the Association of Polish Butchers and Meat Processors, said Việt Nam is now Poland's third-largest non-European export market for pork, with Polish pork exports to Việt Nam rising 34 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year.

Vietnamese and Polish businesses exchange information at the Việt Nam–Poland business matching event in HCM City on August 6. — VNS Photo

He said Polish companies are increasingly coming to Việt Nam not only to market their own products but also to source Vietnamese agricultural products for Poland and the wider European market.

One of Poland's leading beef producers, for example, visited a Vietnamese shrimp processing facility immediately after arriving in HCM City to explore shrimp sourcing option for what could become Poland's first shrimp burger. Another Polish company spent a day meeting Vietnamese suppliers to discuss importing pepper.

"These are concrete examples showing that our presence in Việt Nam is not simply about exporting Polish products. It is about two-way trade based on mutual benefit, partnership and long-term trust," Parzybut said.

In a separate interview, Arendarski said Poland also sees strong potential to import Vietnamese coffee, seafood, fish, tropical fruits and spices while exporting apples, meat and other premium food products to Việt Nam.

He said Việt Nam's rapidly growing middle class is creating stronger demand for premium imported foods, offering significant opportunities for Polish exporters if products are carefully selected and supported by effective marketing.

Bùi Thị Ninh, deputy director of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry's HCM City Branch, said years of cooperation had helped bring high-quality Polish products, including apples, meat and dairy products, closer to Vietnamese consumers.

She said the two economies are highly complementary, with Poland serving as one of Europe's leading food production and processing centres while Việt Nam is a dynamic consumer market and a gateway to ASEAN.

The "Taste Europe – Discover the Flavours of Europe!" campaign is a three-year EU-funded information and promotion programme showcasing selected European agricultural and food products, including fresh, chilled and frozen beef and pork, fresh apples, apple juice and dried apples.

In Việt Nam, the campaign targets consumers, journalists, food industry professionals, importers, distributors, retailers and the HoReCa sector to raise awareness of the quality, safety and origin of European food products while fostering new business partnerships, according to Bożena Wróblewska, president of the Polish Chamber of Commerce Promotion Centre. — VNS