Diverse Vietnamese products sold in Australian supermarkets ahead of Tet

Sydney (VNA) - Many Vietnamese goods have found their way on to prominent shelves with special decorations in Woolworths supermarkets, one of the two major chains in Australia, ahead of the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

Along with products that have become familiar to Australian customers such as instant coffee, canned coconut water, confectionary, cashew nuts, and rice noodles, this year Woolworths has also introduced pork floss, rock candy, and coconut caramel.

Vietnam’s export of agricultural and food products to Australia has been rising in recent years. At Coles, the other major chain, Vietnamese seafood and processed food are always in stock and attract the attention of shoppers.

According to Nguyen Phu Hoa, head of the Vietnamese Trade Office in Australia, the country’s total import volumes fell 6 percent year-on-year as of last November, but Vietnam’s exports to the market rose 2.65 percent to over 3.62 billion USD.

Meanwhile, figures from the General Department of Vietnam Customs show that Vietnam-Australia trade in the month increased 3.94 percent year-on-year to 8.2 billion USD.

Hoa said that upturns were seen in the export revenue of many Vietnamese products in the Australian market last year, with a record 43.85 percent growth seen in fruit and vegetables, to over 64 million USD, followed by aquatic products with 9.88 percent, to 228.7 million USD.

The Trade Office will organise online trade fairs of Vietnamese products this year to promote exports.

On the occasion of the upcoming Tet holiday, the most important for Vietnamese people and which falls in mid-February, the office has supported the sale of Vietnamese products at local supermarkets and distribution networks to serve the Vietnamese community, while launching many promotional programmes to popularise Vietnamese products in the market, Hoa added./.