Spring Fair 2026: a catalyst for Vietnamese enterprises
Nguyen Manh Hung, Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Office in New York, has described Vietnam’s organisation of the Spring Fair as a valuable opportunity to boost consumer promotion and trade cooperation, noting many similarities with practices in the US.
In an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in the US on the occasion of the first Glorious Spring Fair 2026, Hung said that in the US, fairs are commonly held at the end of the year around major holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, when people can conveniently purchase a wide range of goods to prepare for important festive occasions. In addition, spring fairs are also organised early in the year, marking the start of a new trading cycle and serving as venues that connect sellers and buyers, producers and consumers, as well as distributors.
Drawing on his many years of experience in the market, Hung noted that the US has a number of products with strong potential to participate in fairs in Vietnam, particularly agricultural products currently enjoying preferential import tariffs, such as apples, grapes, cherries, maize and soybeans.
However, he stressed that US exports, despite tariff incentives, will still face competition from agricultural imports from other countries as well as Vietnam’s own tropical produce. Therefore, to win over the Vietnamese market, US products need to continue improving quality and adjusting prices to remain competitive with goods from other suppliers.
According to Hung, the Spring Fair 2026, being held in Vietnam for the first time, has received strong direction from the Government and the Prime Minister, along with leadership and direct coordination from the Ministry of Industry and Trade and other ministries and sectors. He described the fair as a typical model that can be further developed and replicated in the future, helping to promote international trade cooperation, attract more foreign enterprises to participate, diversify products for the domestic market, and create opportunities for local producers to strengthen international cooperation, enhance competitiveness, and exchange scientific, technical and technological know-how.
Hung also said to further promote trade and business linkages with the US business community, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Office in New York will focus on supporting more Vietnamese business delegations to visit the US to enhance cooperation and brand promotion, while also providing information and assistance to US enterprises seeking to invest and do business in Vietnam.
He underlined that two-way trade cooperation is extremely important, as the US remains Vietnam’s largest export market, while US enterprises are highly valued and welcomed to invest, produce, do business and re-export from Vietnam to other markets.