Hong Kong (VNA) – A business networking seminar to promote Vietnamese rice products was held in Hong Kong (China) on August 15, attracting the participation of about 40 major Vietnamese rice and agricultural exporters along with representatives of rice trading enterprises in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association Do Ha Nam said Vietnamese enterprises brought their premium rice products to introduce to Hong Kong importers, with the hope of opening a new chapter in bilateral trade.
He noted Vietnam’s rice exports to Hong Kong have declined significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the association expected the event would help identify causes and solutions to restore export volume to the pre-2020 level.
Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau Le Duc Hanh noted that rice trade has long played a traditional and relatively stable role in Vietnam–Hong Kong commercial relations, stressing that the sector still has much potential for growth.
She suggested related associations of both sides explore cooperation with enterprises and carbon credit trading platforms to boost and capitalise on the added value created from emission reductions in rice cultivation and processing.
Kenneth Chan, Chairman of the Rice Merchants’ Association of Hong Kong Limited, said with a population of over 7.5 million and almost no arable land, Hong Kong is entirely dependent on rice imports. Vietnam, as one of the world’s largest rice exporters, remains the second-biggest supplier of rice to Hong Kong.
According to the Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department, Vietnam exported 46,400 tonnes of rice to the region in 2024, accounting for around 18.1% of the market share. In the first half of 2025 alone, the export figure reached 25,700 tonnes, making up about 20.2% of the market share, up 22.3% year-on-year./.
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