Entering Egypt and Middle East - Africa market: A new step for Vietnamese agricultural products
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| Ambassador Nguyen Nam Duong and representatives of the Food Africa 2025 exhibition organizers visit the agricultural product pavilion of Ho Chi Minh City enterprises. |
On December 9, the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) inaugurated the Vietnamese agricultural product pavilion at the Food Africa 2025 exhibition, held at the Egypt International Exhibition Center in Cairo from December 9 to 12.
The program to introduce and promote Vietnamese agricultural products by the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center features 36 enterprises engaged in the production, processing, and export of agricultural products.
With a total area of 250 square meters, designed in a modern, elegant, and professional style to optimize visitor experience, the pavilion of Ho Chi Minh City enterprises at Food Africa 2025 made a strong impression and attracted a large number of visitors, especially professional importers and distributors from Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa.
Participating in Food Africa Cairo 2025, Ho Chi Minh City enterprises aim to understand the demands and preferences of the Egyptian market and to enhance connections, exchange information, and seek partners.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen, Director of Dong Duong Import-Export Co., Ltd. (Đong Duong Food), shared: “Entering the Egyptian market, Dong Duong Food is very confident because Egypt is the central market of Africa and the Middle East. The Egyptian market currently consumes a lot of Vietnamese agricultural products. Through the Food Africa Cairo 2025 exhibition, we hope to find effective partnerships to bring more agricultural products to the Egyptian market. We want to find reputable customers to boost agricultural exports to Egypt.”
The products displayed at the pavilion of Ho Chi Minh City enterprises received high praise for their quality, diversity, and competitiveness, especially in product groups with great potential in the Egyptian market such as agricultural products (pepper, cashew nuts, coffee, rice), dried fruits, bottled beverages, canned fish, etc.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Nguyen Nam Duong and Ms. Ho Thi Quyen, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center, cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Vietnamese pavilion at the Food Africa 2025 exhibition. |
Mr. Esmail Kamal, Chairman of Rakiza Business and Trade Solutions (Egypt), stated: “I just visited the Vietnamese enterprises’ booths. I found Vietnam’s rice products to be wonderful, similar to the Egyptian rice we are familiar with. We truly see the rice quality as very good. Therefore, rice is one of our best choices, as well as sweet products. We hope to find more products at forums like Food Africa 2025 to enhance cooperation with Vietnamese enterprises.”
Ms. Ho Thi Quyen, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center, stated: Egypt is not only a large market but also a gateway to the Middle East and Africa. Therefore, Vietnamese agricultural products have many opportunities to be exported to these markets. At Food Africa 2025, we aim to find opportunities and partners to expand the export market for Vietnamese agricultural products.
Notably, Vietnamese agricultural products have already established a reputation for quality, expanding export reach to enhance competitiveness on the international stage. With products such as seafood, canned tuna, rice, coffee, and many distinctive Vietnamese agricultural products, the Vietnamese booths have attracted customer interest. Many customers highly appreciate the quality of Vietnamese agricultural products. They have left their information for deeper connections after the exhibition.
The significant interest from partners indicates that Vietnamese agricultural products can fully penetrate the supply chain in Egypt and the region. This affirms Ho Chi Minh City's correct trade promotion strategy in selecting key markets and introducing major products that align with consumer needs and preferences in Africa and the Middle East.
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| Visitors at the agricultural product pavilion of Ho Chi Minh City enterprises at the Food Africa 2025 exhibition in Egypt. |
Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Egypt, stated that Vietnam has become a reliable partner, steadily supplying many agricultural products that Egypt demands. Products such as coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, coconut, and seafood are Vietnam's strengths in the Egyptian market.
With a population of 108 million and attracting about 17-18 million international tourists annually, Egypt is a vast market for agricultural and food products. Additionally, Egypt also has a large demand for importing raw materials for livestock and food processing for export.
According to Vietnam Customs, the export turnover of agricultural products, including seafood, fruits and vegetables, cashew nuts, coffee, and pepper, from Vietnam to Egypt reached approximately 193 million USD from January to November 2025.
Mr. Nguyen Duy Hung noted that some other Vietnamese agricultural products such as tea and rice have not yet penetrated the Egyptian market, mainly due to price competition, but these are potential items with many opportunities in the Egyptian market.
Food Africa 2025 is one of the most significant trade events for the agriculture-food sector in Africa and the Middle East. The event attracts the participation of over 1,100 exhibitors and major companies from dozens of countries in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
The diversity of product types and origins makes Food Africa 2025 a global fair, facilitating business communities to seek partners to boost import-export activities, distribution, and cross-continental supply chain connections.
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| Ambassador Nguyen Nam Duong and Ms. Ho Thi Quyen (left), Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center, chair the Vietnam Business Forum "Trade and Investment Opportunities within the Framework of the Comprehensive Partnership between Vietnam and Egypt". |
Earlier on December 7, the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center and the Egyptian Trade Authority, organized the Vietnam Business Forum in Cairo with the theme "Trade and Investment Opportunities within the Framework of the Comprehensive Partnership between Vietnam and Egypt."
The event was attended by representatives of 36 Ho Chi Minh City enterprises participating in the Food Africa 2025 exhibition. Speaking at the forum, Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Nguyễn Nam Dương affirmed that upgrading the Vietnam-Egypt relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership reflects the determination of both countries' leaders to develop economic-trade cooperation commensurate with potential.
Egypt is not only an important partner in North Africa but also a strategic gateway for Vietnamese goods to access the entire region. With a population of over 100 million, Egypt is a promising market for Vietnamese agricultural products.
According to Ambassador Nguyen Nam Duong, Egypt has recently made strong reforms to improve the investment-business environment, emphasizing that this is an opportunity that Vietnamese enterprises should proactively seize to increase market share and develop a sustainable market in Egypt.
The Ambassador committed to continuing to accompany the business communities of both countries, maintaining programs for connection, dialogue, and market consultation to turn the opportunities of the Comprehensive Partnership into specific projects, contracts, and cooperative activities.



