HÀ NỘI — As many as 500 firms are exhibiting their products at the 29th Việt Nam International Trade Fair (Việt Nam Expo 2019), which opened at the International Exhibition Centre in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

The four-day event, themed “Networking and Sharing for Mutual Success”, includes the attendance of enterprises from provinces and cities of Việt Nam and 23 countries and territories, including Algeria, Cuba, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea and China.

Việt Nam Expo is hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and organised annually by the Việt Nam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company (Vinexad) over the last two decades, and is recognised as one of the most effective trade events, bringing about a lot of economic values for organisations, enterprises and individuals in Việt Nam and overseas.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Đỗ Thắng Hải said the event, first held in 1991, has become one of the biggest and most important trade promotion activities of the industry and trade sector.

“The expo has brought multiple economic values and opportunities helping Vietnamese firms boost exports and develop the domestic market, contributing to the realisation of the Government’s commitment to enhancing international economic integration,” Hải told Việt Nam News.

Việt Nam Expo 2019 features around 600 booths of businesses from 23 countries and territories. — VNS Photo Linh Anh

One highlight at Việt Nam Expo 2019 is the participation of enterprises whose brands are honoured with the “Việt Nam Value” title – the symbol of prestige and quality for Vietnamese brands in the domestic market as well as brand development in the international market. They include Việt Nam Electrical Equipment JSC – GELEX, Trần Phú Electrical Mechanical JSC, Bình Minh Plastics JSC, Duy Tân Plastics JSC, Tân Á Đại Thành Group, Hà Nội Beer Trading JSC, Đà Nẵng Rubber JSC and Hà Nội Trade Corporation.

Dương Thị Uyên Thảo, Business Development Director of Tân Plastics JSC, told Việt Nam News that the event offers the company opportunities to meet with new partners as well as boosting the development of export activities.

Kim Ki Joon, chairman of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)’s Southeast Asia and Oceania and general director of KOTRA Hà Nội, told Việt Nam News this year was the 21st year the Republic of Korea has attended the event.

“This year, South Korea presents the largest number of attending firms. There are some 150 South Korean companies with 160 booths participating in the event. Over the years, the number of Korean enterprises attending has increased, proving that Korean enterprises are increasingly interested in the Vietnamese market and wishing to strengthen co-operation with Vietnamese businesses,” Kim Ki Joon said.

Korea-Việt Nam Design Sharing Pavilion

A ‘Korea-Việt Nam Design Sharing Pavilion’ is also one of the event’s highlights.

The booth displays designs to serve customers under a programme titled ‘Korea-Việt Nam Design Sharing’, co-ordinated by the Việt Nam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) and the Korea Institute of Design Promotion, which has been in operation since 2010 and provided support for 3,500 companies.

According to Nguyễn Thị Hồng Vân, director of the Market Research and Development Department under Vietrade, this exercise has provided consultancy for Vietnamese enterprises in enhancing design capability, branding and packaging, researching market demands and developing marketing ideas.

This year’s booth showcases the products of seven companies including three Vietnamese ones, namely VinaTea JSC, Lương Qưới Coconut Processing Co Ltd and Quảng Ninh Seafood Trading And Production Co Ltd, together with four Korean Enterprises of DITOBRAND, MASS C&G, Kimhyunsun DESIGN and MOT. — VNS