Almost 40 Vietnamese and Algerian businesses attended the Vietnam-Algeria online trade exchange in Hanoi on June 26.

Head of the Ministry of Trade and Industry for Africa, West and South Asia Market Department, Ly Quoc Hung, said the exchange aims to help Vietnamese businesses promote exports of rice, coffee, pepper, footwear and other primary exports to Algeria .

The online exchange method is considered effective, low cost, and an alternative solution to slashing trade promotion costs, Hung added.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria , Do Trong Cuong, said Algeria is the fourth largest economy in Africa and Vietnam ’s leading trade partner in the continent.

Vietnam ’s exports revenue to Algeria hit a record of 100 million USD in 2011 with major staples including coffee, rice, seafood, pepper and steel products. The figure rose to 64.22 million USD in the first four months of the year.-VNA