HANOI: The Glorious Spring Fair 2026 is increasingly evolving beyond a domestic consumption stimulus event into an open trade promotion platform where direct connections between Vietnamese enterprises and international partners are taking shape.
Among the foreign participants, Philippine businesses have shown strong interest in exploring cooperation opportunities in Vietnamese agricultural products such as cashew nuts, cacao and coffee.
The presence of international delegations visiting, surveying and engaging with companies at the fair highlights the growing appeal of a trade model focused on deeper commercial promotion. It also reflects proactive efforts by Vietnam's trade offices to bring global partners closer to domestic production hubs.
According to Le Phu Cuong, trade counsellor at the Vietnam Trade Office in the Philippines, a series of promotion activities has been rolled out since the beginning of 2026, prioritising direct connections between leading Philippine distributors and Vietnamese enterprises as well as major distribution systems.
“Bringing the Philippine business delegation to visit the Spring Fair is a practical trade promotion activity that goes straight to the needs, capabilities and specific cooperation potential of enterprises from both sides,” Cuong said.
The Philippines is currently Vietnam's second-largest export market in Asean and holds significant potential for agricultural products, including cereals, seafood, tea and coffee.
Many Vietnamese agricultural products have already established a foothold in the Philippine market, with Vietnam consistently ranking among major suppliers and accounting for a considerable share of the country's import turnover.
This foundation has encouraged Philippine companies to proactively seek deeper partnerships through the Spring Fair.
With a large population, a young demographic structure and a rapidly expanding middle class, the Philippines is experiencing strong growth in demand for consumer goods, construction materials, machinery and production inputs – sectors where Vietnam possesses manufacturing advantages and competitive pricing aligned with Philippine consumption trends.
Both countries' participation in multiple regional free trade agreements also enables Vietnamese goods to benefit from preferential tariffs when entering the Philippine market, further enhancing their attractiveness to local importers and distributors.
Delegate Mandel Panizares of Green Agricultural Products Trading expressed expectations for collaboration with Vietnamese partners, particularly in agricultural commodities.
As a company operating in the Philippine food supply sector, specialising in importing and distributing nuts, coffee, dried fruits and premium dehydrated vegetables, the firm is currently seeking partners across South-East Asia, including Vietnam, to expand its market share.
Evaluating products firsthand at the fair has provided a more realistic understanding of Vietnamese enterprises' production capacity, product quality and order fulfilment capabilities, rather than relying solely on documentation or images.
From Vietnam's perspective, the Spring Fair also offers domestic companies an opportunity to gain deeper access to the Philippine market, which is widely viewed as having considerable untapped potential.
The Vietnam Trade Office in the Philippines noted that many Vietnamese businesses have actively sent company profiles, product catalogues and samples, or dispatched representatives to explore the market through trade fairs, exhibitions and promotional events coordinated by the office.
Some have even invested in dedicated booths at specialised exhibitions covering construction, food processing, packaging, electrical appliances, and food and beverage industries.
Such activities promote products while also helping enhance Vietnam's national image among Philippine consumers. The increasingly visible presence of Vietnamese goods in retail systems, supermarket chains and modern distribution channels is considered a positive signal that Vietnamese brands are gradually leaving their mark on the market.
Despite promising prospects, trade connectivity between Vietnamese and Philippine enterprises still faces several challenges.
Export structures from Vietnam do not yet fully complement the Philippines' import profile.
Among the country's most imported goods, including machinery, electrical and mechanical equipment, mineral fuels and transport vehicles, Vietnam currently holds a clear position only in certain categories.
Meanwhile, other Vietnamese strengths such as footwear, garments and agricultural products are not yet among the Philippines' largest import demand groups.
Competition from countries like Thailand, China and India also poses difficulties, while stringent Philippine regulations on food safety and environmental hygiene require Vietnamese exporters to ensure full compliance.
To better capture opportunities and secure a stronger foothold in the market, the trade office recommends intensifying promotional activities, improving awareness among Vietnamese enterprises about the Philippines' potential, investing in technology and product innovation, strengthening brand-building efforts and seeking connections with local partners.
Looking ahead, the Vietnam Trade Office in the Philippines confirmed it will continue leveraging fairs, exhibitions, retail weeks and conferences to promote Vietnamese products, national branding and business partnerships among Philippine stakeholders.
At the same time, it plans to provide market intelligence and introduce opportunities to encourage enterprises from both countries to actively explore each other's markets.
International participants have also suggested that organisers prepare English subtitles and additional foreign-language materials to facilitate access to information, products and matchmaking activities.
The proposal underscores foreign businesses' expectations for the fair to advance toward greater professionalism and integration. — Vietnam News/ANN
