Dinh Sy Minh Lang of the ministry’s European and American Market Department said the portal provides up-to-date information related to EU regulations, tariff incentives, international standards, market trends, products they can sell to the EU, buyers’ perceptions, and sector news.

Lang said “Viet Nam’s export window to Europe” database would initially focus on six sectors in which Viet Nam enjoys certain advantages: textiles and garments, wood and furniture, fruits and vegetables, aquaculture, leather and footwear, and coffee and tea.

At a seminar held to introduce the database on November 29, he said through the database, domestic firms could find out everything they need to do if they want to enter the global distribution network.

The portal was developed as part of a programme called “Developing Direct Participation of Vietnamese Enterprises in Foreign Distribution System up to 2020” that was approved by the Government in 2015.

The programme seeks to help Vietnamese firms develop new export channels to directly take their products to consumers in foreign countries to cut intermediary costs and add value.

Nguyen Khanh Ngoc, deputy head of the European and American Market Department, said understanding markets is always important when doing business.

The European market has strict regulations in terms of food safety, environmental protection, and origin, and Vietnamese businesses need to be aware of and follow them as well as meet requirements set by distributors there, she said.

They need to pay special attention to building brands for export products, which would help build trust in Vietnamese goods among foreign consumers, she said.

The ministry has co-ordinated with European distributors to organise “Vietnamese products week” in EU supermarkets to promote quality Vietnamese products and brands, and connect Vietnamese firms with distribution chains, she said.

Tran Van Lieng, general director of Vietnamcacao, said launching the database on the European market by the ministry is a good thing because it offers businesses information about the market so that they can identify the right strategy for each market.

Hoang Thi Lien, manager, fresh foods, Viet Nam, for France’s Auchan, spoke about her supermarket’s sourcing system and purchasing standards for food and non-food products.

To sell products to Auchan’s 3,800 stores around the world, Vietnamese producers need to meet certain minimum requirements, including hygiene and food safety standards in line with Vietnamese laws and regulations, and furnish documents for each product, she said. — VNS