Hanoi (VNA) – A New Zealand business delegation led by the ASEAN–New Zealand Business Council (ANZBC) has paid a working visit to Vietnam, where they join the first Autumn Fair 2025, currently taking place at the Vietnam Exposition Centre (VEC) in Dong Anh commune, Hanoi.
The visit opens new prospects for cooperation in trade, investment and innovation between the two countries.
ANZBC Executive Director Liz Bell expressed her high appreciation for the partnership potential between the two business communities, particularly as 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the 5th anniversary of the Vietnam–New Zealand Strategic Partnership.
Bell noted that the strong bilateral relationship served as a solid foundation for enterprises from both countries to expand cooperation, adding that effective collaboration between the two governments has helped boost business confidence and encouraged companies to explore new partnership opportunities.
The New Zealand delegation comprises over 20 companies operating in various sectors, including food and beverages, technology, education, infrastructure, investment, and healthcare. Notably, agritech companies in the delegation aim to introduce new technological solutions for Vietnam’s food processing and manufacturing industries — areas that Bell considers highly promising for collaboration.
This is regarded as New Zealand’s largest direct trade promotion mission to Vietnam in the past five years, underscoring growing interest among New Zealand enterprises in Vietnam - a dynamic manufacturing and logistics hub in Southeast Asia.
Bell highlighted that the delegation’s focus goes beyond seeking export opportunities, aiming instead to build two-way partnerships and develop joint solutions tailored to the Vietnamese market.
Bell stated that the delegation aimed not only to introduce new technologies and products but also to find Vietnamese partners willing to engage in long-term cooperation to create sustainable value. She noted that New Zealand’s agritech companies were particularly interested in sharing technologies to help Vietnam improve agricultural productivity and quality, moving towards smart and environmentally friendly farming.
In addition to agriculture, education and green technology are also seen as two key pillars of potential cooperation. Bell noted that New Zealand’s hands-on training model, closely linked to industry needs, complements Vietnam’s young and dynamic workforce, which is eager to upgrade its skills in an international environment. She suggested that both sides could cooperate in training human resources in technology, engineering and modern agriculture, contributing to the development of sustainable regional value chains.
A highlight of the ANZBC delegation’s visit was its participation in the Autumn Fair 2025 in Hanoi, where delegates were impressed by the scale and diversity of products and expressed enthusiasm about exploring partnership opportunities with Vietnamese businesses across various sectors.
She also praised the business-to-business (B2B) sessions organised by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which helped New Zealand firms connect with suitable partners and better understand local consumer preferences and import regulations.
According to Bell, such direct meetings not only build trust between enterprises but also lay the groundwork for concrete cooperation agreements in the near future.
The delegation also held a productive meeting with Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, during which they discussed market access procedures for New Zealand’s Manuka honey products. Bell said the information was highly valuable for New Zealand businesses, helping them understand Vietnam’s market entry process and paving the way for future cooperation projects.
Vietnam remains one of the most dynamic economies in the Asia–Pacific region, with an average GDP growth rate of 6–7% between 2016 and 2024.
With a population of over 100 million, 60% of whom are of working age, Vietnam offers a large consumer market and a young, skilled workforce. Its strategic location in global supply chains, acting as a gateway between East Asia and ASEAN, also makes it an attractive destination for New Zealand investors.
According to the Vietnam Department of Customs, bilateral trade between Vietnam and New Zealand reached more than 1.1 billion USD in the first nine months of 2025, with Vietnam exporting 528 million USD worth of goods and importing 587 million USD.
Vietnam’s key export items include phones, computers, textiles and footwear, while New Zealand’s strengths lie in agricultural produce, dairy products and food-processing technology. Experts note that the natural complementarity between the two economies is a crucial factor for sustainable trade growth.
Bell emphasised that this complementarity forms the basis for a long-term and strategic partnership. She affirmed that ANZBC will continue to act as a “trusted bridge” between the two business communities, fostering cooperation not only in traditional trade but also in emerging fields such as green transition, agritech and human resource development.
The 2025 mission is not only a trade promotion opportunity but also the beginning of long-term collaboration programmes between the two countries’ businesses, Bell stressed. /.
