Representatives of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade and Arobid Technology JSC launch the Expo Platform in HCM City on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Vietnamese exporters will have a new digital channel to connect with overseas buyers as HCM City combines online business matching with traditional trade promotion.

The Expo Platform, developed by the Centre for Technical Support and Sustainable Development under the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade and Arobid Technology JSC, was launched on Tuesday as part of preparations for the 2026 Outstanding Vietnamese Export Products Fair.

The platform is scheduled to go live on October 20, allowing businesses and cooperatives to create digital booths, showcase products and communicate with potential buyers beyond the physical exhibition.

The initiative comes as HCM City seeks to diversify export markets and strengthen local businesses' participation in global value chains. The city's exports reached more than US$65.8 billion in the first eight months of 2026, up 7.82 per cent year-on-year, according to the city’s Department of Industry and Trade.

The department said market diversification, better use of free trade agreements and improvements in product quality and standards would remain important to export growth.

The export fair, taking place from October 22–24 at WTC EXPO International Exhibition Centre, will feature 750 booths covering major export sectors including textiles and footwear, food and agricultural products, Halal food, wood products, handicrafts, household equipment and hand tools.

It will also introduce an “on-site export centre”, connecting international buyers directly with businesses, factories and production areas.

According to Lê Văn Danh, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, the combination of direct meetings, production-site visits and digital connectivity will give buyers more opportunities to assess Vietnamese suppliers.

“Instead of only bringing businesses to display their products, the programme aims to bring international buyers, procurement groups and distribution systems directly to production areas,” Danh said.

So far, 21 delegations comprising 103 buyers have registered for the event. They come from the US, France, Canada, Hungary, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Taiwan (China), China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Dubai, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and other markets.

Data becomes part of export promotion

For exporters, however, putting products online is only one part of the process.

Trần Văn Chín, chairman of Arobid Technology JSC, said the quality of digital information would be critical to helping buyers find and assess suppliers.

Company profiles and product information need to be updated, standardised and sufficiently detailed to support searches and business matching, particularly as artificial intelligence is increasingly used to analyse and connect data, he said.

Nguyễn Thị Vân Anh, chairwoman of Tam Nong Vietnam Cooperative, said the cooperative had introduced its purple rice products to the Australian market.

Previously, potential buyers had to contact the cooperative directly to obtain information.

“When customers want to learn about our products, they can now access information such as growing-area codes, production technology and product specifications directly on the digital platform before starting discussions and transactions,” she said.

Therefore,the platform goes beyond product promotion, giving international buyers digital access to Vietnamese suppliers and key information on product origin, quality, production and sustainability.

Extending trade beyond the exhibition

However, the Expo Platform is designed to complement rather than replace physical trade fairs.

While exhibitions allow buyers to inspect products, meet suppliers and visit production facilities, an online platform can keep company and product information available after an event ends.

Huỳnh Đinh Thái Linh, general director of WTC Becamex Co Ltd, said bringing professional buyers to production sites would allow companies to demonstrate their manufacturing processes, capacity and standards directly.

The approach is particularly relevant as overseas markets impose increasingly detailed requirements on product standards, traceability, sustainability and green production.

By combining digital product information with physical meetings and production-site visits, the Expo Platform provides another channel for Vietnamese businesses to maintain contact with international buyers and expand overseas market access. — VNS