Autumn Fair 2025: New Zealand businesses want to expand investment and business in Vietnam

Photo caption — Mr. Le Hoang Tai, Deputy Director of the Trade Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, spoke at the conference. Photo: Phan Phuong/VNA

This is considered the largest direct trade promotion trip of New Zealand in Vietnam in the past 5 years, showing the increasing interest and expectation of New Zealand businesses in the dynamic market of Vietnam - the manufacturing hub of Southeast Asia.

The event was organized by the Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade) in coordination with the Vietnam Trade Office in New Zealand and the ASEAN - New Zealand Business Council (ANZBC).

According to the Organizing Committee, the conference aims to promote trade and investment cooperation, connect production and service supply chains between businesses of the two countries; at the same time, expand opportunities to export Vietnamese goods to the New Zealand market and the Oceania region.

More than 20 New Zealand businesses operate in many fields: design - construction, technology, software, agricultural products, milk, honey, nutritional products, health services, education , hotel investment and management, finance, real estate, import-export trade and study abroad - immigration.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Mr. Le Hoang Tai - Deputy Director of the Trade Promotion Agency, Ministry of Industry and Trade said that Vietnam and New Zealand have built a close friendship for decades. The year 2025 is a milestone marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and New Zealand. Trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has developed strongly and achieved certain achievements.

According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, in the first 9 months of 2025, the import-export turnover between Vietnam and New Zealand reached more than 1.1 billion USD; of which Vietnam exported to New Zealand 528 million USD and imported 587 million USD. These figures show the existing potential for both exporting enterprises and investors on both sides.

The most exported products from Vietnam to New Zealand include phones of all kinds and components, footwear, computers, electronic products and components, machinery and spare parts, textiles, etc. On the other hand, New Zealand is famous for its strengths in agricultural products, food processing, dairy products and agricultural support technology - these are industries that can strongly support Vietnam's production and food safety.

Deputy Director Le Hoang Tai added that Vietnam is currently one of the most dynamically developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region, with an average GDP growth of 6-7% per year in the 2016-2024 period.

Vietnam has a large population of over 100 million people, of which more than 60% are of working age, creating a large consumer market and a young, skilled workforce; located in a strategic position in the global supply chain, a convenient transit point between East Asia and ASEAN. Vietnam has participated in 16 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), helping Vietnamese goods access preferential tariffs and international standards in more than 50 major markets around the world.

With a diversified export structure and competitive production capacity, Vietnam is currently among the top 20 largest exporting countries in the world and has a favorable investment and business environment. The government is promoting green transformation, digital transformation and supporting industry development, opening up opportunities for foreign enterprises to cooperate in production, processing and distribution. Modern industrial parks, logistics and seaports help shorten the time to transport goods to New Zealand through direct shipping routes or transit in Singapore.

“Vietnam wishes to become a reliable, dynamic and innovative partner of New Zealand in the regional supply chain. We encourage New Zealand importers, distributors and retail groups” – Deputy Director Le Hoang Tai emphasized and suggested that New Zealand businesses pay attention to investment cooperation in Vietnam in areas such as: exploring more high-quality supply sources from Vietnam; joint ventures in food processing, sustainable agriculture, cold logistics, clean energy and e-commerce; participating in trade promotion programs, fairs, B2B (business model of direct transactions between businesses) between the two countries organized by agencies under the Ministry of Industry and Trade such as the Trade Promotion Agency, Vietnam Trade Office in New Zealand.

Mr. Le Hoang Tai believes that through today's trade conference, many Vietnamese and New Zealand businesses will find practical and effective cooperation opportunities, which will lay the foundation for the Vietnam - New Zealand friendship to develop continuously and sustainably.

Sharing the same view, Ms. Liz Bell - Executive Director of the ASEAN - New Zealand Business Council also shared that the goal of the New Zealand business delegation to Vietnam this time is to seek cooperation opportunities. Not only in traditional cooperation areas, New Zealand businesses also want to expand cooperation to new areas where the two countries have a lot of potential and strengths.

2025 is also an important year in the cooperation relationship between Vietnam and New Zealand, marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the Strategic Partnership. Therefore, the Executive Director of the ASEAN - New Zealand Business Council believes that the Vietnam - New Zealand Trade, Investment and Business Connection Conference will create many new opportunities and promote trade between the two countries.

Mr. Do Huu Tung, First Secretary of the Vietnam Trade Office in New Zealand, said that, receiving close direction from the leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Department of Foreign Market Development, the trade office quickly coordinated with New Zealand industry associations to inform, mobilize and support businesses to register to attend the first Autumn Fair in 2025.

Through the Vietnam - New Zealand Trade, Investment and Business Connection Conference and the Autumn Fair, businesses will have the opportunity to connect with many potential partners not only in Vietnam but also in the region.

Mr. Do Huu Tung added that from October 27 to November 1, 2025, the New Zealand business delegation will have a practical working program in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, including business dialogue, meetings with Vietnamese ministries and branches, and attending the 2025 Autumn Fair, which will be the highlight of the working trip.

“This is not just a product promotion trip but a long-term connection journey, demonstrating the commitment to sustainable cooperation between businesses of the two countries,” Mr. Do Huu Tung shared.

Immediately after the conference, Vietnamese and New Zealand businesses entered a B2B direct connection session to seek business cooperation opportunities.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/hoi-cho-mua-thu-2025-doanh-nghiep-new-zealand-muon-mo-rong-dau-tu-kinh-doanh-tai-viet-nam-20251028140558781.htm