(VOVworld) – Recent programs to introduce Vietnamese goods to Italy’s Romace region and France’s Lyon city were the fourth Vietnamese trade promotion campaign in Europe since 2011. The model has proven effective in helping Vietnamese goods reach European consumers.  

Vietnamese enterprises will have more opportunities to ship their products to the European market after a successful week for Vietnamese goods in France. (Photo: moit.gov.vn)

Goods ranging from food, beverages, and farm produce to wood products, garments, and textiles were introduced during previous Vietnamese Goods Weeks in Italy and France.

The campaigns have achieved remarkable results. Items like Tam Lan tea, Hanoi beer, and lychees have been sold by the Thanh Binh Jeunes supermarket chain in France and Vietnamese enterprises have been talking to the Auchan supermarket chain about exporting rice to Europe.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa (Photo: VNA)

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Ho Thi Kim Thoa said: “We’ve organized many trade promotion programs but this is the first time we’ve directly promoted our goods to European customers through the distribution system. It will be better for European businesses to act as a link between Vietnamese goods and European consumers.”

Dang Hoang Hai, a senior official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said the program to sell Vietnamese goods in European supermarkets has high expectations because it will benefit the businesses of both Vietnam and Europe.

According to Hai, “the program has helped Vietnamese enterprises learn how to manage foreign distribution chains. The chains are an advanced method to meet high demand. Once Vietnamese businesses participate in these chains, their products will be available around the world.”

Through such programs, Vietnamese producers can monitor customer demand and bring Vietnamese brands to many countries around the world. Nguyen The Tan, director of the Tam Lan Tea Company, which has been successful in the French market, said: “As a Vietnamese company, we really want to bring our domestic products to the world. After participating in two trade promotion programs held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, we’ve realized our dream of entering foreign markets, especially the demanding European market. The result has been beyond our expectations. We’ve successfully penetrated the French market via the Thanh Binh supermarket system. Although we’re strongly confident in our product quality, we understand that we still need to try harder to survive in the foreign markets.”

Valentin Tran, director in charge of exports-imports of the Casino group, said: “Vietnamese companies should study the host countries’ markets carefully and make them familiar with our products and brands. We should take part in more trade fairs in Europe to display our products. We also need to get to know local customers’ tastes and buying habits by visiting supermarkets in France and other European countries. In any case, the most important factor remains product quality, which Vietnam should further improve and prove that it can meet international standards.”

Vietnamese businesses should make full use of the opportunities created by free trade agreements and outline strategies to diversify their products and market them to European customers.