Rome (VNA) – On the occasion of the first Spring Fair 2026, Vietnam’s Trade Counsellor in Italy Duong Phuong Thao highlighted trade promotion experience in Italy and key priorities for 2026 to strengthen Vietnam-Italy commerce.
Thao said the bilateral relations are developing positively, providing a solid foundation for economic and trade ties. The Italian Government, financial institutions and business community regard Vietnam as a key market in Southeast Asia.
In 2025, nearly 100 Italian enterprises travelled to Vietnam to explore investment and partnership opportunities in food processing, industrial machinery, precision engineering, product design, textiles–footwear, furniture and manufacturing technology.
A major boost came from the launch of the direct Hanoi–Milan air route in July 2025, which has shortened travel time, reduced logistics costs and facilitated business, tourism and technology exchanges.
Italy is home to more than 80 major international trade fairs each year, including globally recognised events such as Vinitaly, Cibus, Tuttofood, Sana, Macfrut, HostMilano and Salone del Mobile Milano.
These platforms offer Vietnamese firms opportunities to promote products, access advanced technologies and connect with global partners.
Italy also holds strong advantages in industrial design, precision mechanics and machinery manufacturing, playing a key role in global supply chains. This presents opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to upgrade technology and move up the value chain.
According to Thao, the Vietnam Trade Office in Italy is stepping up B2B connections in food processing, machinery, textiles–footwear, interior design and precision engineering. In 2024, it successfully organised a Vietnamese coffee promotion event in Turin, northern Italy, attracting around 100 Italian coffee businesses and major Vietnamese exporters.
Italian premium products with potential in Vietnam include Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Gorgonzola, Prosciutto di Parma ham, extra virgin olive oil and wine, along with food-processing machinery and high-end design products.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese exports are gaining ground in Italy thanks to the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which has reduced tariffs to zero on most key export lines. Strong growth has been seen in coffee, seafood, cashew nuts, pepper, tropical fruits, textiles, footwear and furniture.
Thao stressed that four-season trade fairs in Vietnam must be professionally organised and strongly consumer-oriented when inviting foreign, particularly Italian, businesses that prioritise economic efficiency and quick capital turnover.
She said events should feature engaging experiential programmes, targeted communications, clear market positioning and competitive pricing policies to stimulate domestic demand, as only sustained local consumer interest and repeat purchases can ensure tangible returns and long-term, mutually beneficial trade cooperation.
For 2026, the Trade Office will prioritise promoting Vietnamese goods at major Italian fairs; expanding specialised B2B events in Milan and Rome; inviting Italian firms to Vietnamese expos; enhancing online trade-matching tools; and fostering locality-to-locality cooperation.
With improving connectivity and sustained promotion efforts, particularly the Turin coffee event in 2024, the series of events in Southern Italy in 2025, the wave of nearly 100 Italian businesses coming to Vietnam to seek opportunities, along with direct flights from Hanoi to Milan starting in July 2025, Thao expressed confidence that Vietnam–Italy trade will continue to grow in a more substantive and diversified manner in the coming years./.
