Webinar connects Vietnamese, Côte d'Ivoire businesses

Speaking at the event, Dang Thi Thu Ha, Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire, noted that Côte d'Ivoire is one of the leading economies in West Africa and has great potential in economic and trade cooperation with Vietnam.

With a population of nearly 26.5 million people, this is a country with strong commodity consumption, but its requirements for product standards are not too strict.

Côte d'Ivoire is also rich in natural resources, with an abundant source of raw materials for many manufacturing industries that Vietnam can access and exploit, including some products that Vietnam has been importing with high volumes such as raw cashew nuts, cotton, and raw materials for animal feed, Ha said.

In the coming time, the embassy will coordinate with relevant domestic authorities such as the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Institute for African and Middle East Studies to hold both online and in-person activities to connect Vietnamese and Cote d'Ivoire partners, she added.

Côte d'Ivoire is Vietnam’s second largest trading partner in Africa, after South Africa, and the fourth largest export market of Vietnam in this continent, after South Africa, Egypt and Ghana.

In 2021, bilateral trade recorded strong recovery after a period of decline due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a total turnover of nearly US$1.26 billion, up 38.7% compared to 2020, of which Vietnam's exports reached US$266.2 million, up 1.2% and imports US$992.3 million, up 54%.

Faman Touré, Chairman of the Côte d'Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the chamber will organise a business delegation to visit Vietnam in September to seek more business and investment opportunities.

Many enterprises registered to participate in this delegation right at the webinar.