Dien Bien (VNA) – The 2026 Dien Bien International Trade Fair opened in Dien Bien Phu ward, the northern province of Dien Bien on the evening of October 17, drawing a large number of domestic businesses and cooperatives, as well as delegations and partners from Laos and China.
The event is expected to boost economic growth, promote border trade and expand opportunities for investment attraction and business cooperation in the region. Running from October 17 to 22, the fair features more than 230 booths operated by over 120 domestic and foreign organisations and businesses, providing a venue to display and promote products, connect supply and demand, and seek partners to develop markets.
The booths are arranged in several zones, including a general trading area for domestic businesses, cooperatives and household businesses; an area showcasing goods from foreign partners; and a section displaying signature products from communes and wards across Dien Bien province.
More than 200 booths are allocated to domestic businesses and producers, while the remaining belong to foreign partners from northern Laos and Pu’er city and Jiangcheng county of China’s Yunnan province.
The products on display range from agricultural, forestry and fishery products, food and processed foods, products under the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme and outstanding rural industrial products to handicrafts, traditional craft products, consumer goods, household appliances, garments, fashion items and regional specialities.
The fair also features machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, refrigeration products, and displays promoting tourism and local investment potential.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Lo Van Cuong, Standing Vice Chairman of the Dien Bien provincial People’s Committee, stressed that the fair is not merely a venue for displaying and introducing products, but also a platform for trade connections, enabling businesses to promote their brands, seek partners, develop distribution networks and expand markets.
Through trade promotion activities, the province hopes to strengthen links between production and consumption, establish sustainable value chains and increase the value of local products, he said.
The participation of businesses and products from Laos and China also gives businesses in Dien Bien and the northwestern region more opportunities to understand market demand, connect with distributors, and exchange information on product quality, standards and cooperation arrangements, said the official.
Dien Bien aims to achieve GRDP growth of 11.02% in 2026. To meet this target, growth in the fourth quarter needs to reach nearly 14%, requiring the province to make effective use of its development drivers, including stimulating consumer demand, expanding markets and attracting additional investment. The fair is therefore expected to generate positive spillover effects for the local economy, he said.
Bui Quang Hung, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, said the fair offers businesses from Vietnam, Laos and China an opportunity to meet and learn about market demand and standards, paving the way for substantive and lasting trade links.
For businesses and cooperatives in Dien Bien and other northwestern provinces, the event provides direct access to domestic and regional partners and distributors, helping them reach markets beyond their traditional ones, he said.
Hung emphasised the need to improve the effectiveness of border trade promotion. Rather than limiting activities to buying, selling and exchanging goods across border gates, the focus should be on developing an integrated trade ecosystem encompassing standard-compliant raw material zones, processing, branding, logistics and e-commerce.
The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency will continue working with Dien Bien province to connect supply and demand, help businesses enhance their competitiveness and promote cross-border e-commerce, he added.
Alongside the fair, the 2026 International Investment Promotion Conference involving Dien Bien province, Yunnan province and Luang Prabang province is scheduled for October 1-19. Combining trade and investment promotion will enable localities and businesses to discuss their potential and cooperation needs in greater depth, explore investment opportunities and expand links in areas where they have strengths./.
VNA
