Opening the market for Vietnamese agricultural products

Vietnamese agricultural products have the opportunity to expand their market share in North Africa, as Algeria is considered a potential market with diverse needs and sympathy for Vietnamese goods.

In the context of Vietnam promoting market diversification, including the African region, Algeria - a large economy in North Africa - is considered a potential gateway for Vietnamese agricultural products. On this occasion, a reporter from the Agriculture and Environment Newspaper had an interview with Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Tran Quoc Khanh about opportunities, challenges, and directions for Vietnamese goods to conquer this market.

Mr. Tran Quoc Khanh - Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria. Photo: Linh Linh.

- Dear Ambassador, Algeria is considered one of the major economies in the North African region, with diverse agricultural import demands. How does the Ambassador assess the opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural products, especially items such as coffee, pepper, rice, and seafood, to expand their market share in this market?

Ambassador: Algeria is a country with many high-quality fruits. In addition, Algerian consumers are also very fond of tropical fruits and fruit-based products. In fact, from a number of agricultural product promotion campaigns that the Embassy has carried out in the past, it shows that Vietnamese coffee, longan, lychee, dried fruits and coconut products are very popular. Vietnamese businesses can also cooperate to import high-quality dates and olive oil from Algeria.

Based on the traditional friendship between the two countries, along with the advantages of quality, competitive prices and prestige of Vietnamese agricultural products, it can be affirmed that agricultural cooperation is a very promising field in bilateral relations and Algeria is a potential market for Vietnamese agricultural products. However, due to Algeria's policy of restricting the import of finished products, so far only imported coffee in the form of raw materials has penetrated the Algerian market.

The authorities of the two countries have also recognized this potential and are actively studying the possibilities of expanding agricultural cooperation in the coming time. I believe that in the near future, the agricultural products of the two countries will have a worthy place in each other's markets.

- Despite the great potential, the reality is that Vietnam's export turnover to Algeria and the North African region is still modest. According to the Ambassador, what are the main difficulties that prevent Vietnamese agricultural products from penetrating deeper? Is it due to logistics, payment, technical barriers and limitations in market information?

Ambassador: It can be said that although trade relations between Vietnam and Algeria have maintained a positive growth momentum in recent years, two-way trade in the first 9 months of 2025 increased 3 times compared to the same period in 2024. However, the scale is still quite modest compared to the potential. The main reasons come from barriers in policy, logistics and payment procedures.

First of all, Algeria's domestic production protection policy is still applied quite strictly, especially in the fields of agricultural products, processed foods and consumer goods. The Algerian government prioritizes the import of goods for production or products that cannot be produced domestically, while applying many restrictive measures to protect domestic enterprises, making it difficult for Vietnamese goods to expand their market share.

Second, administrative procedures, import licensing and international payment regulations are still complicated, requiring businesses to understand the law and have reliable local partners.

Third, there is currently no direct shipping route between Vietnam and North Africa, forcing goods to transit through European or Middle Eastern ports. This not only increases costs and prolongs delivery times, but also reduces the competitiveness of Vietnamese goods compared to Chinese or European goods, which have advantages in distance and logistics systems.

Overcoming the above challenges requires the joint efforts of the government and businesses. Currently, the authorities of the two countries are actively working to create a more favorable legal framework for agricultural cooperation in general, including the import and export of agricultural products of the two sides' strengths. I hope that Vietnamese businesses will further promote the spirit of initiative and creativity to enter the Algerian market.

Coffee is considered a strong product of Vietnam in Algeria. Photo: Linh Linh.

- To help Vietnamese agricultural products dominate the Algerian market in particular and the North African region in general in the coming time, according to the Ambassador, what specific solutions are needed from the State, businesses and diplomatic representative agencies, especially in trade promotion, connecting partners and building national brands?

I think a more proactive and synchronous approach is needed between the Government - businesses - diplomatic missions.

On the Government side, it is necessary to continue: (i) Strengthening delegation exchanges, promoting bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and at the same time, strengthening support for market information and national trade promotion towards this region. (ii) Taking measures to promote a number of priority areas (You want and We have the ability) in agricultural cooperation such as applying science and technology in cultivation, product processing, breed research, and aquaculture. (iii) Facilitating travel and trade, especially for businesses and investors who want to attend fairs or survey the Vietnamese market.

For businesses, it is necessary to: (i) Focus on improving quality, traceability, improving packaging and labels (French/Arabic), and registering for Halal standards suitable for local consumer culture. (ii) Proactively send delegations to explore the market and research the possibility of joint ventures to invest in production in Algeria. (iii) Have a systematic plan with a long-term vision, including the stages of selecting partners and business forms, introducing products, building a network of agents and a long-term distribution system... instead of just exporting individually.

As for diplomatic missions, we will step up the provision of market information, continue to act as a bridge, support in removing obstacles for businesses on both sides; participate and mobilize businesses of both countries to participate in major fairs; organize forums to connect businesses; promote Vietnamese goods in the locality along with promoting Vietnamese culture, cuisine and martial arts.

Algeria is emerging as a potential market for Vietnamese agricultural products, with an estimated annual import turnover of agricultural products and foodstuffs of around 10 billion USD. Despite its limited arable land area, this North African country has a large demand for tropical products such as coffee, dried fruits, coconuts and seafood - all of which are Vietnam's strengths.

In 2024, trade turnover between Vietnam and Algeria will reach 220 million USD. In the first half of 2025 alone, this figure reached 280 million USD, reflecting positive growth momentum.

With a population of more than 45 million people and an average agricultural growth rate of 4% per year, Algeria continues to be considered a "gateway" for Vietnamese agricultural products to expand their presence in the North African region, especially when the two countries are strengthening cooperation in logistics, payment and trade promotion.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/khai-mo-thi-truong-cho-nong-san-viet-d781380.html