This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Last Published: 7/17/2018

The following section provides information on industries that have been identifed by U.S. Commercial Servce staff in Vietnam as leading sectors. This list is not intended to be exhaustive in scope; export opportunities exist in a broad spectrum of goods and services. For information on market potential for your firm, please contact the U.S. Commercial Service in Vietnam.

Agriculture

Overview
Vietnam is a growing market for consumer-oriented and edible fish and seafood products.  World exports of consumer-oriented products to Vietnam have continually accelerated over the past five years, rising from $7.6 billion in 2012 to $13.9 billion in 2017, up 11 percent over 2016.  Likewise, global fish and seafood exports to Vietnam sharply increased from $2.5 billion in 2012 to $6.2 billion in 2017, up 16.5 percent over 2016.  Vietnam’s large population, strong and stable economic growth, growing middle class with higher disposable income, concerns about hygiene and food safety, and rapid development of the modern food retail sector are some of the major factors driving market demand for these products.
U.S. exporters are encouraged to review the USDA 2017 Exporter Guide VM7067 which serves as a practical guide for U.S. exporters wishing to initiate or increase exports of U.S. consumer-oriented agricultural products to Vietnam.
It is a challenge for any food exporter to fully understand the complex environment caused by overlapping and frequently-changing food standards and food safety regulations in Vietnam.  U.S. exporters, especially those new to the Vietnamese market, are also advised to refer the following reports to have an overview of Food Standards and Regulations, as well as required certificates:
  • The 2017 FAIRS country report VM7064 provides an overview on the food laws and regulations currently in force in Vietnam.
  • The 2017 FAIRS Export Certificate Report VM7065 provides an overview of the health and quarantine certificates needed for exporting food and agricultural products to Vietnam.Please note that on February 2, 2018, the Government of Vietnam published Decree 15/2018 which renews the implementation of a number of articles of the 2010 Food Safety Law and makes fundamental changes to registration and inspection for both domestic and imported food and the assignment of food safety management among the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD), and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT). This Decree completely replaces Decree 38/2012 regulating the implementation of a number of articles of Vietnam’s Food Safety Law.  For more information on Decree 15, please consult the USDA GAIN report VM8016. 
    At the time of this report, MOH, MARD, and MOIT are currently updating their import regulations and certification requirements as required by Decree 15.  U.S. exporters will be able to follow these developments, as well as find other recent FAIRS and GAIN reports pertaining to their respective interests by navigating the website: https://gain.fas.usda.gov/Lists/Advanced%20Search/AllItems.aspx.  
    Additionally, new-to-market U.S. exporters are advised to look into export requirements for Vietnam updated by USDA agencies, including FSIS (www.fsis.usda.gov), APHIS (www.aphis.usda.gov), and AMS (www.ams.usda.gov).

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.