The first virtual Việt Nam Sourcing Expo on “Build and Home Décor” has been launched in Australia. — Photo of Trade Office of Việt Nam in Australia

SYDNEY — A home expo between Việt Nam and Australia has been launched to boost and diversify the already thriving trade between the two countries.

Held virtually, Việt Nam Sourcing Expo on “Build and Home Décor” seeks to open doors to further trade between Việt Nam and Australia.

The expo is among a series of events of the Việt Nam Sourcing Expo, which runs from December 17 – 31. There will be other expos on Việt Nam’s agricultural and fishery products, textile-garment and footwear, healthcare and support for companies in central Việt Nam to seek market and recover production.

The event brings together about 300 Vietnamese enterprises.

Head of the Trade Office of Việt Nam in Australia Nguyễn Phú Hòa, who is also the event’s organiser, said since the beginning of this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected trade and disrupted direct connection among international partners. In Australia, the pandemic-induced disruption has caused an increase in the number of Australian firms seeking new foreign partners to diversify their sources of supply, he said.

The Trade Office of Việt Nam in Australia has accelerated promotion activities, particularly for agriculture and labour-intensive sectors to help Vietnamese firms gain broader access to the largest market in the Oceania, Hòa added.

Việt Nam’s exports to Australia rose by 2.1 per cent year-on-year in the first 10 months of 2020, with significant growth reported in fruits and vegetables (49.61 per cent), confectionery and cereals (19.46 per cent), wood and wood products (11 per cent), and fishery products (4.78 per cent), despite the fact that Australia’s domestic supply also increased sharply this year. — VNS