Building strategic orientation in trade promotion for the period 2026-2030

On the afternoon of August 18, a workshop was held to discuss and develop a trade promotion report for the 2021-2025 period and some strategic orientations and plans for the 2026-2030 period. Accordingly, at the workshop, experts said that the trade promotion strategy and plan for the 2026-2030 period not only requires efficiency and flexibility but also, importantly, must keep up with the new context.

The workshop discussed and developed a trade promotion report for the period 2021-2025 and some strategic orientations and plans for the period 2026-2030, co-organized by the Trade Promotion Agency ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ) in both direct and online formats.

The workshop was chaired by Mr. Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Department of Trade Promotion, Ministry of Industry and Trade, with the participation of representatives of units under the Ministry such as: Department of Industry, Department of Planning, Finance and Enterprise Management, Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion, Vietnam Trade Office Abroad.

The workshop was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment , representatives of the Department of Industry and Trade and Trade Promotion Centers of localities, and representatives of a number of international organizations.

Identifying 5 priority industries by 2030

Opening the workshop, Mr. Vu Ba Phu emphasized that the workshop aimed to contribute ideas and complete the Trade Promotion Report for the period 2021-2025 and orientation for 2026-2030. The report has been prepared since the end of 2024, through many rounds of discussion, consultation with associations, trade promotion centers and international experts from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO).

Mr. Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Department of Trade Promotion, Ministry of Industry and Trade

“Today’s workshop is the final step before submitting to the leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, with the goal of collecting multi-dimensional opinions from management agencies, associations, centers, trade promotion service enterprises and the Vietnamese trade office system abroad. This report not only summarizes the past 5 years, but is also a strategic plan for the coming period, focusing on building a modern trade promotion ecosystem, with complete data, and strengthening domestic and international connections,” said Mr. Vu Ba Phu.

The leaders of the Trade Promotion Agency also expressed their wish to receive many substantive comments from delegates to complete the report.

Regarding the support for Vietnam in developing and implementing trade promotion strategies at the workshop, Mr. Do Quang Huy, representative of SECO, also said that over the past 15 years, SECO's support has not only stopped at the 2021 - 2025 period but has started before, focusing on improving the capacity of Vietnamese partners in trade promotion activities.

During the cooperation process, SECO has conducted many studies and technical reports with Vietnam, contributing to the development of export strategies through each stage. This is also a favorable time to look back on the past trade promotion journey, in the context of domestic and international requirements for sustainable development, innovation and international integration.

“ This report has the participation of many domestic and foreign experts - those who have been involved in international projects in Vietnam, clearly understand the characteristics and needs of technical support. The report not only summarizes the achievements, but also focuses on export quality: added value, innovation, digital transformation, sustainable development and compliance with international standards on environment, society and governance (ESG)”, said Mr. Do Quang Huy.

Mr. Do Quang Huy, representative of SECO

The SECO representative also expressed that the Swiss Government is currently focusing on supporting Vietnam with a new approach: Instead of just directly supporting businesses, it focuses on accompanying intermediary organizations such as trade promotion agencies, associations, and service centers. This approach creates a stronger and more sustainable spillover effect. In the cooperation strategy, 5 priority industries are identified until 2030, in addition to new areas such as e-commerce, digital transformation, and products associated with green development.

Another important point is the recognition of the growing role of private organizations in the trade promotion ecosystem. The market has seen the emergence of many domestic and foreign enterprises and service organizations participating in export support, especially in new areas such as ESG, carbon emission reduction or digital transformation. This shows that the future trade promotion ecosystem must be a harmonious combination of the public and private sectors.

In the period 2026 - 2030, SECO will continue to accompany Vietnam based on three pillars: Sustainable trade and innovation, sustainable public-private finance, and sustainable industry - urban areas. A specific example is the project to convert industrial parks into ecological models, helping businesses participate more deeply in the global export value chain. At the same time, Switzerland and the European Free Trade Association member countries are negotiating a free trade agreement with Vietnam, promising to open up new markets beyond traditional markets.

“We expect that this report will not only summarize the past 5 years, but also be a technical foundation for building a long-term cooperation roadmap, in line with the sustainable development goals until 2045 and 2050,” Mr. Do Quang Huy expected.

Connecting resources to create a sustainable trade promotion ecosystem

At the workshop, not only did experts, businesses, industry associations and other entities provide comments on the draft content, they also pointed out practical bottlenecks and made suggestive recommendations to shape a truly feasible, effective and international market trend-catching 5-year program.

Listening fully to the comments of experts, Mr. Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Trade Promotion Agency - the unit in charge of drafting the draft report - affirmed that the orientation of building the trade promotion program for the period 2026-2030 will prioritize capacity building, building national brands and connecting resources to create a sustainable ecosystem.

He emphasized that currently in Vietnam, the number of professional associations supporting businesses in trade promotion is still very rare. Local trade promotion centers have not focused on the main task of identifying training needs and improving capacity for businesses and cooperatives.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phan The Cong - University of Commerce - Head of the group of authors building the report shared at the workshop

According to Mr. Phu, the national trade promotion agency should not stop at the role of "accompanying localities to organize small-scale fairs", but must move towards a model like JETRO (Japan), KOTRA (Korea) - that is, becoming a national marketing agency, specializing in research, providing strategic information and building national brands.

“The success of national trade promotion in the new period does not lie in the number of fairs organized, but in improving the capacity of associations, localities and enterprises. At the same time, it enhances the national brand and provides strategic market information,” said Mr. Phu.

In the context of strong fluctuations in global trade with protectionist trends, increased tariffs, shifting supply chains and increasing demands for green and sustainable development, this orientation is even more meaningful. Therefore, trade promotion is not merely a sales support activity but must actually play a connecting role, linking trade, investment and tourism promotion, while building the national image.

The leaders of the Trade Promotion Agency also said that the strategy and plan for the trade promotion program in the coming period need to integrate Vietnam's determination into the goals of green, sustainable, digital transformation and social responsibility. These will be key factors to build trust with global importers and consumers, thereby enhancing the value of the national image and brand.

“We hope that after this workshop, we will continue to receive serious and responsible contributions from experts, associations and businesses. A quality plan will help us have more work to do, and it is also the foundation to bring Vietnam's trade promotion to a new stage, more professional and effective,” Mr. Phu affirmed.

The trade promotion report for the 2021-2025 period and some strategic orientations and plans for the 2026-2030 period will be submitted to the leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade as soon as possible, in order to be approved and implemented soon.

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Author: Do Nga - Viet Nga

Source: https://moit.gov.vn/tin-tuc/xuc-tien-thuong-mai/xay-dung-dinh-huong-chien-luoc-trong-cong-tac-xuc-tien-thuong-mai-giai-doan-2026-2030.html