On the morning of 19th May 2023, Executive Director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam - Mr. Zach Herbers joined the press conference organized by Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) at Conference Room – Export Showroom – No. 92-94-96 Nguyen Hue, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
HCMC FOODEX 2023 also known as the Ho Chi Minh City International Food & Beverage Exhibition will be held from June 28th, 2023 until June 30th, 2023 at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), District 7, HCMC. The event is organized under the direction of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, hosted by the Investment and Trade Promotion Center of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC), in cooperation with the Food and Foodstuff Association of Ho Chi Minh City (FFA), and C.I.S Vietnam Advertising & Exhibition JSC.
The press conference with the goal "Interconnection of Values and Development" was held to provide businesses with the latest information about the event.
A crucial part of the socioeconomic development of Vietnam is the food and beverage industry, which has always been one of the most important economic sectors for the country. Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is building a strategy to develop the city’s food and food processing industry in 2023 toward 2050. Accordingly, the city will conduct research, study models, connect areas with raw materials, and find places to build infrastructure in the provinces of the Southeast and the Southwest regions to serve the sustainable development of Ho Chi Minh City’s food and beverage industry. This is a great opportunity for businesses within HCMC to strengthen their positions in the market, and work toward a green economy for sustainable development.
For Ho Chi Minh City, the food and beverage processing industry is one of the key industries, accounting for up to 15% of the production value for the entire processing industry. In April, the City’s socio-economic situation had seen some positive signs, e.g. Compared with the previous month, the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was estimated to have increased by 3.0% and 8.1% compare to the same period; total retail sales of goods and revenue from consumer services were estimated to increase by 12.2% compared to the previous month; Consumer Price Index (CPI) in April decreased by 0.11% compared to March, after continuously increasing in the first quarter of 2023; industries and commerce have prospered; through the indicators, the City’s economy shows signs of gradual recovery, especially in the beginning of the second quarter where positive and synchronous impacts from the policies and directions of the Government, the Prime Minister, and efforts in the direction and administration of the City were observed.
During the conference, Mr. Tran Phu Lu - Deputy Director of the Investment and Trade Promotion Center of Ho Chi Minh City (ITPC) stated:
“The food and beverage industry has always been one of Vietnam's important and potential economic sectors. Currently, Vietnam has signed many free trade agreements, and the issue of ensuring food safety is being concerned by many countries when facing the risk of a global food crisis, bringing many opportunities and development advantages for enterprises in Vietnam's food and beverage manufacturing and processing industry. For Ho Chi Minh City in particular, the food and beverage processing industry is one of the four key industries prioritized for the development of the city. The production capacity of the city’s food and beverage manufacturing enterprises is not only sufficient to meet the consumption needs of the city’s residents and the domestic market but it has also been exported to many countries all over the world ”.
However, under the adverse impact of global and domestic economic difficulties, the food and beverage processing industry is facing many difficulties and challenges, especially export activities decreased sharply compared to the same period. According to a report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the export turnover of agriculture, forestry and fishery in April 2023 was estimated at 4.54 billion USD, which decreased by 8.3% compared to the same period last year; in the first four months of 2023, the export turnover of agriculture, forestry and fishery reached 15.66 billion USD, a decrease of 13.3% compared to the same period last year. Particularly, the export turnover of the city in the first four months of 2023 also decreased by 19.8% in comparison with the same period (while in the same period in 2022, there was an increase of 9.2%); the index of industrial production of food and beverage industry of the city decreased by 0.8% compared to the same period in 2022.
Participating in the press conference, Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Chairman of the Food Safety Management Authority of Ho Chi Minh City (FSMA) also remarked on the challenges faced by businesses in balancing the implementation of food hygiene safety and regulations by the State.
During the conference, Mr. Nguyen Dang Hien - Vice Chairman of Food and Foodstuff Association of Ho Chi Minh City (FFA) also remarked:
“The exhibition was held for the first time in October 2022 and achieved significant success, attracting over 18,000 domestic and international visitors, with around 250 booths, the majority of which were occupied by our member businesses. I believe that this year's exhibition will continue to provide opportunities for food and beverage enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City to expand their business matching activities, introduce products of Vietnamese brands to the domestic, regional, and international markets, as well as access, learn, and innovate advanced technology, machinery, and equipment in their production and business processes. This will assist businesses in taking proactive roles in researching new, high-quality, and safe products, enabling them to compete effectively in both domestic and export markets. I expect that this event will also be a place for domestic and international businesses operating in all segments of the food and beverage industry value chain to gather together to discuss, exchange ideas, establish professional relationships, and grow together”.
HCMC FOODEX 2023 will be held with the desire to organize an international exhibition of food and beverages on a large scale to support F&B manufacturers to introduce products of Vietnamese brands and good quality to the global market; support enterprises in business matching; accessing information and developing strategies to innovate machinery and advanced technology in the production process, helping to enhance competitiveness, product quality and expand domestic consumption and export markets.
"The mission of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Vietnam is to foster and support the development of bilateral opportunity and connection between Canada and Vietnam. It was a pleasure to attend the press conference for HCMC FOODEX 2023 for a robust discussion on opportunities in the food and food processing industry in Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam as a whole.
Both Canada and Vietnam are fortunate to have significant agricultural production and food processing industries with enormous opportunities for growth and continued diversification. As Canada's largest ASEAN trading partner, there is ample room for the continued development of bilateral trade and investment in this key sector. As such, CanCham is proud to support FOODEX 2023, and we wish the best of success to all exhibitors and attendees."
Mr. Zach Herbers, Executive Director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam commented.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
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