Exports of Polish food products to Vietnam under discussion
VOV.VN - Vietnam and Poland both grow numerous agricultural products that are complementary to each other, thereby offering the opportunity to co-operate together, according to participants at a bilateral business matching held recently in Ho Chi Minh City.
Nguyen Huu Nam, deputy director of the VCCI in Ho Chi Minh City, said, “Poland has high demand for Vietnamese products such as rice, basa fish, shrimp, mango, pineapple, passion fruit, coffee, and cashew, while Poland is capable of supplying Vietnam with various EU-standard fresh and processed foods and fruits, beef, lamb, pork and others.”
Their trade and investment relations have made solid progress, although they are still not commensurate with their traditional friendship and potential, partly due to the lack of information about each other's markets, he said.
Alexander Nowakowski, second secretary of Economic Affairs at the Polish embassy in Vietnam, speaking at a press briefing held before the meeting, said after the pandemic many business delegations have come to each other markets to seek further co-operation opportunities.
The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has also helped to bolster trading ties between the two countries.
Poland’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lech Kołakowski told the press briefing that his country is one of largest producers of food products, such as pork, beef, chicken, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products in Europe, with the Eastern European country exporting goods to more than 200 markets.
“Poland’s foods not only have high quality, but are also are absolutely safe,” the Polish Deputy Minister said.
The Government of Poland is therefore paying close attention to expanding export portfolios to the country, he said, adding that his Ministry is now working with its Vietnamese counterparts to finalise procedures to allow Polish exporters of beef, goose, and duck access to the Vietnamese market.
He therefore hopes that these items originating from Poland will soon be available in Vietnam.
At a meeting held with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on February 23 in Hanoi, he asked the Vietnamese side to open up Polish barley and wheat.
He said the agricultural products of the two countries do not compete with each other.
Furthermore, Vietnam could become an important destination for the distribution of Polish agri-food products to the Asian region, with Poland ready to do the same for Vietnamese products heading to Europe, he said.
Executives from 70 Vietnamese food companies and eight Polish companies met and exchanged information as they seek further business opportunities.