Vietnam can become a global Halal hub

Experts say the process of standardizing certification and building a specialized workforce will be the key for Vietnamese businesses to open the door to the $2 trillion Halal ecosystem.

Mr. Pham The Cuong, Commercial Counselor of the Vietnam Trade Office in Indonesia, speaks at the forum - Photo: TRUONG LINH

As part of the Vietnam International Sourcing 2025 (VIS2025) exhibition currently taking place in Ho Chi Minh City, the seminar "Market Trends and Export Opportunities for Vietnamese Agricultural Products and Processed Foods to Halal Markets" has gathered many opinions and suggestions from experts in the Halal market, expanding export opportunities and diversifying markets for Vietnamese products.

Halal certification... still difficult

In her opening remarks at the forum, Ms. Ho Thi Quyen, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Trade and Investment Promotion Center (ITPC), stated that Vietnam currently lacks many internationally recognized Halal certification organizations.

Halal certification activities in the country are still fragmented and lack effective coordination among relevant agencies and units.

This creates significant obstacles for businesses in accessing Halal export markets, particularly in the areas of certification verification, quality control, and specialized logistics operations required by the strict demands of Muslim countries.

"Notably, the shortage of experts with comprehensive knowledge of the Halal value chain, from production, processing, packaging, logistics to marketing and distribution, is a major obstacle in the professionalization and deep integration of Vietnam's Halal industry into the global supply chain," Ms. Quyen added.

Exporting Halal products through e-commerce.

Businesses networking at the Vietnam International Sourcing 2025 Exhibition - Photo: VIS

Mr. Pham The Cuong, Commercial Counselor of the Vietnamese Trade Office in Indonesia, believes that small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the food and agricultural processing sector, with limited financial capacity, weak management skills, and a lack of in-depth knowledge of Halal standards, face challenges and have not proactively participated in and effectively exploited this potentially lucrative market.

However, if Vietnamese products can overcome the challenges of improving quality and meeting market demands, Halal certification could be a golden passport to conquer the market of 2 billion Muslim consumers.

Mr. Cuong also stated that in Indonesia alone, online shopping has become popular. Therefore, for products that have received Halal certification, this could be a potential channel for export activities.

In addition, Mr. Cuong also suggested that businesses should distribute through domestic distributors in Halal markets. "This is also the most superior and effective method because they already have import licenses, market knowledge, and procedures," he said.

From a Middle Eastern perspective, Mohammed Alfawaz, chairman of the Saudi Food Industry, stated that Vietnam has established a Halal certification organization (HALCERT) and is promoting mutual recognition with international certification bodies.

Saudi Arabia's Halal market is estimated to be worth around $60 billion in 2024, with 85-95% of its food needs being imported. This creates a significant demand for certified supplies from trusted countries.

Mr. Alfawaz believes that Gulf countries are actively diversifying their supply sources beyond Malaysia, Brazil, and India. In this trend, Vietnam is emerging as a potential additional option, with advantages in competitive costs and abundant agricultural resources.

In the long term, Vietnam has the potential to become a global Halal hub, acting as a trade bridge between Asia and the Middle East.

Data from the General Department of Customs shows that total two-way trade between Vietnam and Muslim-majority countries reached US$24.7 billion, an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period last year. Of this, exports reached US$10.9 billion in the first seven months of 2025, only a slight increase compared to the same period in 2024.

This figure does not fully reflect the potential when considered in the context of the global Halal market, which is estimated to exceed $2 trillion and serve more than 2.2 billion consumers.

Truong Linh

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/viet-nam-co-the-tro-thanh-trung-tam-halal-toan-cau-20250905201633747.htm