Businesses are moving at the same time
The Vietnam E-commerce Capacity Index 2025 Report - Vietnam E-commerce Association Vecom shows that the rate of enterprises using websites or e-commerce applications for export purposes in 2024 will increase compared to 2023, from 14% to 17%. However, many enterprises are not really interested in and investing in online export strategies.
While increasingly becoming the “backbone” of international trade, many Vietnamese businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, are struggling to adapt. Pressure comes not only from the market but also from within the businesses themselves.
According to Mr. Truong Van Cam, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), small and medium-sized enterprises are currently facing many challenges such as low competitiveness, limited access to capital, and pressure to transform production models.
“Businesses cannot simply do processing forever. They need to take advantage of their products and goods to increase their competitiveness, and switch to more proactive and effective business forms, in which e-commerce is a mandatory direction,” Mr. Cam commented.
However, the transformation is not easy. Mr. Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Trade Promotion Agency ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ) pointed out many barriers that exist within Vietnamese enterprises.
“Many businesses still lack a clear strategy to enter e-commerce. They face obstacles in terms of technology, foreign languages, human resources, and understanding of how to operate digital platforms,” said Mr. Phu. Many business leaders do not fully understand the role of digital transformation, leading to a lack of vision and determination in implementation.
In addition, the lack of staff with e-commerce skills also disrupts the process of connecting and taking care of customers on digital platforms. Instead of creating a continuous 24/7 presence as expected, many businesses are confused when operating online booths, leading to unsatisfactory results.
Although the opportunities from e-commerce are clear, such as shortening geographical distances, saving time and expanding the market, this is not an easy path, especially when the internal foundation is still weak and preparation is not deep enough.
Take advantage of breakthroughs on digital platforms
Besides existing challenges, cross-border e-commerce is opening up unprecedented opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to expand globally, especially for industries with traditional strengths such as wood, textiles or handicrafts.
With more than 20 years of experience exporting Vietnamese wood products to European and American markets through digital platforms, Mr. Tran Lam Son, founder of Green Mekong, affirmed the great potential of the Vietnamese wood processing industry.
“Currently, more than 80% of wood production materials in Vietnam are domestic. This is a great advantage in the supply chain. Businesses are familiar with the international B2B model, now it is time to take a step further to B2C - selling directly to global consumers,” Mr. Son shared.
However, the biggest barrier remains market access. “There is no faster and more effective way than joining cross-border e-commerce platforms. This is the shortest way to increase connectivity, promote and expand the market,” he said.
In the textile and garment industry, one of the key export industries, Mr. Truong Van Cam, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), said that the association is encouraging businesses to actively apply new technology in transactions, through cross-border e-commerce platforms.
To accompany industries, the Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and Amazon Global Selling Vietnam have launched a 3-year cooperation program "V-Brands Go Global with Amazon", to support Vietnamese businesses in developing their brands in the global e-commerce market.
From 2025–2027, the program will train and certify 1,000 businesses online for export, and help 30 national brands expand their international presence through Amazon.
Not only manufacturing enterprises, logistics companies that are familiar with the traditional transportation model are also proactively restructuring in the digital supply chain.
“We are gradually integrating deeply into digital platforms, applying data and technology into operations to more effectively support Vietnamese businesses in the e-commerce environment,” a representative of a logistics company shared.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/rao-can-noi-tai-khien-nhieu-doanh-nghiep-viet-chua-the-chuyen-minh-post649675.html
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