Paving the way for new products

Vietnamese goods have great opportunities to be exported to Australia. Besides traditional products, there is a need to expand into new product categories such as fresh chicken meat and Ca Mau crab.

Great opportunities for Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products.

Australia is currently Vietnam's largest trading partner in the Oceania region and also a major export market for Vietnam to Oceania, accounting for up to 88% of exports.

According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, in January 2025, total bilateral trade reached over US$1.5 billion. Of this, Vietnam's exports to Australia were a highlight, recording a 13.9% increase compared to the same period last year.

Australia was also one of the few major export markets to see growth exceeding 10%, while the country's overall exports experienced a 4.3% decline.

Australian consumers favor many Vietnamese products and goods. Photo: VNA

Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa, Head of the Vietnamese Trade Office in Australia , said that among the Vietnamese export sectors to this market, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and fruits and vegetables are sectors with significant growth potential. Australian consumers favor Vietnamese goods.

To date, Vietnamese agricultural, aquatic, and food products have a wide reach in Australia, even reaching remote areas such as the Northern Territory.

“In 2024, exports of agricultural products and vegetables to Australia reached over US$111 million, a growth of over 25% compared to the same period; seafood exports reached over US$343 million, an increase of over 9%, coffee increased by 48.3%, rice increased by over 17%, confectionery increased by over 23%, and rubber increased by over 17%...

"This is a very impressive growth rate. This result shows that Vietnamese agricultural, aquatic, and fruit and vegetable products have a great opportunity to boost exports to Australia in 2025, " Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa commented.

Sharing insights on the driving forces behind Vietnam-Australia trade in recent years, including trade in agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products, Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa stated that free trade agreements (FTAs), especially new-generation FTAs ​​such as RCEP and CPTPP, along with other cooperation frameworks, have created numerous competitive advantages for Vietnamese goods to penetrate deeper into the Australian market.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mien Ha, Director of Overseas Market at Sao Thai Duong Joint Stock Company, stated that the CPTPP Agreement, upon its entry into force, has brought attractive tariff rates to Sao Thai Duong's export goods, helping to reduce product costs and increase competitive advantage.

Meet & More Coffee's coffee products are widely introduced and promoted in Australia. Photo: Ngoc Luan

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luan - General Director of Meet & More Coffee Global Trade Link Company Limited - said that FTAs ​​have greatly supported businesses' goods in reaching foreign markets.

"For example, through the CPTPP, Meet & More Coffee's instant coffee products have benefited from a 0% tariff rate when exported to Australia. This is an incentive for businesses to invest in technology and focus more on the quality of their export products," Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luan informed.

According to Mr. Luan, in order for Vietnamese goods to have a greater presence in Australia, building product and industry brands is one of the tasks that Meet & More Coffee focuses on implementing.

Sharing their experience in building brands for agricultural products in Australia, representatives from Meet & More Coffee stated that the first step is to research the consumer behavior of Australians, and then develop specific strategies for each product category.

“Since 2020, when we started exporting to Australia, we identified our main potential customers as the Vietnamese diaspora – the Vietnamese community living in Australia. They are both customers and a channel for introducing and promoting Vietnamese goods to their Australian friends,” Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luan informed, adding that the company also regularly participates in promoting goods at trade fairs, exhibitions, and Vietnamese markets to enhance brand recognition.

Expanding export sectors and product lines.

Australia is a potential market for Vietnamese goods, but it is also one of the most demanding markets in the world , with high product quality standards and strict import procedures.

In a detailed analysis, Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa stated that Australia has very strict technical barriers, labeling requirements, and food safety and hygiene standards, with some standards even higher than those of the United States and the EU.

Furthermore, Australia also requires many import regulations such as: tax policies and rates; regulations on packaging and labeling; regulations on food safety and hygiene, quarantine; intellectual property rights; trademarks; business practices, etc.

" Therefore, if Vietnamese agricultural, forestry, and fisheries export businesses want to penetrate the Australian market, they need to prioritize product quality over price. In addition, Australian consumers also pay attention to packaging, design, and branding, " Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa advised.

Ready to meet Australian standards, since 2020 when Australia was identified as a key market, Meet & More Coffee has focused on advanced processing, gradually establishing its brand in Australia.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luan stated that Australian consumers have very high safety standards. In particular, food products need to be inspected to meet certain criteria before being granted import permits. Even in large supermarkets, the requirements are even higher, encompassing not only food safety and hygiene but also consumer welfare standards.

Fresh chicken meat – a promising product for export to Australia. Photo: Cam Tien.

Committed to supporting businesses exporting to the Australian market, Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa said that the trade mission is actively paving the way for new products. For example, with fresh chicken from Vietnam, although Australia has not yet allowed imports, the mission has coordinated with importer M-import and supermarkets to bring approximately 15,000 processed chicken products for consumers in Western Australia and Queensland to sample at supermarkets.

Similarly, with regard to Ca Mau crab products, the trade mission also advised Vietnamese businesses to focus on quality, processing, and packaging in accordance with Australian regulations to build brands and gradually penetrate this market.

"Mud crabs in Australia (similar to those from Ca Mau) are very expensive and lack the distinctive quality and roe of Ca Mau crabs. Therefore, if they can be processed and packaged according to Australian regulations, they will be a product with great potential," Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa informed and recommended that, in recent months, agricultural and aquatic product prices in Australia have been favorable, so businesses should boost exports in the first months of 2025.

According to statistics from Vietnam Customs, in January 2025, the total bilateral trade between Vietnam and Australia reached over US$1.5 billion. Of this, Vietnam's exports to Australia were a highlight, experiencing a 13.9% increase compared to the same period last year.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/xuat-khau-sang-australia-mo-duong-cho-cac-san-pham-moi-377284.html