Implementing the National Trade Promotion Program (Trade Promotion) in 2020, the Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade) coordinates with Vietnamese Foreign Trade Offices and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID ) through the Project of Promoting Reform and Enhancing Connections of Small and Medium Enterprises (USAID LinkSME) to organize "Vietnam International Food and Agricultural Trade Conference 2020" from 22- September 25, 2020.

The event aims to widely promote the export potentials and strengths of Vietnamese agricultural and food products and connect Vietnamese small and medium production and export enterprises with import and distribution business partners, potential wholesale and retail in foreign online markets, in the condition that domestic enterprises face many difficulties in promoting trade with foreign countries because of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Within the framework of the conference, over 150 foreign enterprises and importers will transact online with more than 30 enterprises producing and supplying agricultural and food products of Vietnam.

The foreign enterprises attending the conference came from 28 export markets of Vietnam including: India, Bangladesh, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Myanmar, Japan (Asia); Great Britain, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Switzerland (Europe); Algeria, Kuwait, Iran, Israel, Morocco, UAE (Africa - Middle East); Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, United States, Mexico (Americas). Among these, Japan, Bangladesh, Angieria, Hong Kong and UK are the markets with the largest number of importers participating.

Vietnamese enterprises attending the conference from 12 provinces and cities of Vietnam are Bac Giang, Can Tho, Dak Lak, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hau Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, Kien Giang, Lam Dong, Long. An, Nghe An and Quang Ngai.

The categories to be introduced, promoted and traded at the conference include: vegetables and fruits (fresh, dried, frozen ...), rice, beans, corn, potatoes, beverages (tea, coffee, milk, fruit juice), confectionery, seafood, pepper, cinnamon, anise, noodles, vermicelli ...

The conference will include Plenary Session and Trade Sessions 1: 1 online connection between Vietnamese businesses and each potential importer by commodity group and market. In particular, the Plenary Trade Conference will take place on September 22, 2020. At this session, Vietnamese businesses will have the opportunity to learn about the prospects and consumption trends of Vietnamese agricultural products and foodstuffs in some foreign markets. Foreign businesses will also have a better understanding of the potentials and strengths of Vietnam's agricultural and food products.

At private trading sessions that took place right after the plenary session and lasted until September 25, 2020, Vietnamese businesses will have online 1: 1 contact with foreign importers that were divided into industry groups, specific product and market.

This is the largest online trade conference in the field of agricultural and food products held ever with simultaneous connection with many foreign markets. Through this trade conference, Vietnamese businesses and foreign importers will better understand each other's needs and capacities to come to agreement on business cooperation opportunities for the benefit of enterprises to contribute to supporting businesses to overcome the epidemic and build sustainable business development strategies for a wide range of agricultural products and foodstuffs.

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, Vietnam's export of agricultural products and foodstuffs to the world market has faced many difficulties recently. Statistics of Vietnam Customs show that, in the first 8 months of this year, the export turnover of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products was estimated at 26.15 billion USD, down 0.9% over the same period in 2019. In of which, the main agricultural product group was estimated at nearly 12 billion USD, down by 3.2%; livestock products were estimated at 250 million USD, down 25%; seafood was estimated at 5.2 billion USD, down 5.3%.

In the above context, the Department of Trade Promotion (Ministry of Industry and Trade) has continuously conducted a variety of online transactions to support and accompany Vietnamese agricultural and food enterprises to maintain connection with key and target market types, minimizing negative impacts from the pandemic./.