Vietnam’s exporters should pay more attention to expanding sales on e-commerce platforms besides trade promotion activities in particular in order to expand export of ago-forestry-aquaculture products to China and its Guangdong province, according to the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

China remains the biggest importer of Vietnam’s farm produce and food.

An online Vietnam - Guangzhou seafood trade connection programme held by Vietrade recently saw a large number of orders placed by Chinese businesses and entrepreneurs, with each company ordering from 4-5 containers of aquatic products from Vietnam each week.

To expand export of agricultural and aquatic products to China, the agency, localities and enterprises of Vietnam have joined many trade promotion programmes in the neighbouring country.

Commercial Consul of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Guangzhou Nguyen Duy Phu said however, Vietnamese exporters need to do more besides trade promotion. He stressed that e-commerce is developing strongly in China, so Vietnamese trade agencies, firms and trade organizations should pay more attention to this exporting channel. 

Last year, two-way trade between Vietnam and Guangdong hit 41 billion USD, accounting for 20-21 percent of the total trade turnover between the two countries.

Of the figure, Vietnam’s exports were worth 21 billion USD, and imports 19 billion USD.

Half of Vietnam’s export earnings from Guangdong came from electronic components and mobile phones (10.5 billion USD). Aquatic products, fruits and rice followed with respective values of 300 million USD, 183 million USD and 160 million USD.