More than 150 wholesale buyers from 28 countries and territories around the world are joining an online trade matchmaking conference with 30 Vietnamese food and agricultural manufacturers and traders.

This is the largest online trade conference in the field of agriculture and food products. Photo: Vietnam News

The event is jointly held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnamese trade missions overseas and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). It is part of the Project to promote reforms and improve joint capacity of Small and medium enterprises (USAID LinkSME).

The event aims to broadly promote the potential and strengths of Vietnamese agricultural and food products for export, and to connect Vietnamese SMEs with import partners, potential wholesalers and retailers in foreign markets, in the context that local companies face difficulties in promoting trade with foreign partners due to Covid-19.

This is the largest online trade conference in the field of agriculture and food products so far. According to experts, it is expected to further boost up Vietnamese exports as Vietnamese shipments of farm produce have been affected by Covid-19. 

Statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed that in the first eight months of this year, the export turnover of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products was estimated at US$26.15 billion, down 0.9% over the same period in 2019. 

Among them, the spearhead items achieved a turnover of around US$12 billion, down 3.2%; exports of livestock products were estimated at US$250 million, down 25%; and seafood US$5.2 billion, down 5.3%.