Chinese rice importers visit Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of some 20 Chinese rice importers is visiting Vietnam for trade connection and promotion activities between May 6 and 10.

The delegation, led by representatives of the China Food Industry Association (CNFIA), is scheduled to make field trips to a number of rice processing facilities in An Giang, Long An, and Dong Thap provinces in Vietnam’s rice granary Mekong Delta region. They will attend a trade connection workshop in An Giang on May 9.

Their visit, made at the invitation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), is part of a programme co-organised by the MoIT’s Export-Import Agency and Department of Asian and African Markets; Vietnam’s trade promotion office in Beijing; the industry and trade departments of the three delta provinces; the Vietnam Food Association; and CNFIA.

Previously, the MoIT had invited four similar delegations to make trips to Vietnamese rice hubs. They gathered representatives from Chinese provinces that have high demand for rice imports such as Anhui, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Fujian.

These programmes are opportunities to introduce Vietnam’s facilities, capacity, and trademark in the industry.

In 2018, Vietnam’s total rice exports reached 6.15 million tonnes, with the export turnover of 3.15 billion USD. The industry saw 5.7 percent and 19.6 percent increases in volume and value compared to 2017, respectively.

China was the biggest rice importer of Vietnam last year, but was surpassed by the Philippines in the first quarter of 2019. –VNA