The US ambassador to Việt Nam, Marc Knapper (centre), visits the ‘US Food and Beverage Showcase’ in Đà Nẵng. Photo courtesy of USAID

ĐÀ NẴNG/HUẾ — Businesses from the US and Europe have been seeking investment opportunities and cooperation in tourism, agriculture, energy, environment for green growth in Thừa Thiên Huế Province and Đà Nẵng City, two key economic destinations and tourism hubs in central Việt Nam.

While the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Đà Nẵng, organised the ‘US Food and Beverage Showcase’ to promote US products to the Đà Nẵng business community, Thừa Thiên Huế also hosted the Meet Green event with the participation of 70 businesses from the US last weekend.

The F&B exhibition in Đà Nẵng, which featured 21 exhibitors who are USDA Cooperators, state representatives, distributors, and manufacturers,  was seen as an opportunity to expand the reach of US food products in a key hospitality market as international tourism resumes.

The diverse exhibitors introduced a wide range of US products, including beef, pork, chicken, seafood, potatoes, cheese, raisins, pulses, soy products, apples and more to potential customers in the region.

During his keynote remarks, Ambassador Marc Knapper stated: “Việt Nam is now the 8th largest export market for US food and agricultural products, while the US is Việt Nam’s 39 largest export market. Our total bilateral agricultural trade has more than doubled from over US$4 billion in 2011 to over $9 billion in 2021.”

 “This growth in our bilateral agricultural trade also reflects the increasing importance of the overall economic and trade relations between the US and Việt Nam.”

FAS’s Agricultural Counselor, Robert Hanson, emphasised that the event was an excellent example of how FAS and USDA Cooperators promote high-quality US food products to Vietnamese consumers.

He also highlighted the ‘United Tastes’ digital marketing campaign introduced last year.

Hanson stated that the ‘United Tastes brand aims to connect, educate, and inspire Vietnamese consumers about the US's wide range of high-value, high-quality, safe, and healthy products.

American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and Thừa Thiên Huế province agreed to boost investment for green economic growth in the future. Photo courtesy of Lê Đình Hoàng

AMCHAM and Thừa Thiên Huế also agreed to boost ties between business from the US and the province to promote Huế as a key economic power in central Việt Nam.

The cooperation deal will help businesses from the province approach technology, investment fund and advanced industries from the US and fund the trend of future green economic growth.

It will focus on creating business meets among the US investors and partners from the province and introducing investment information and a list of possible investment projects in Thừa Thiên Huế.

The province took chances to offer potential projects and preferential policies for investing in the Chân Mây-Lăng Cô Economic Zone and industrial parks in Huế, while an image of the tourism hub will be promoted as a ‘green’ and ‘smart’ urban and a world heritage destination.

Chairman of AMCHAM, John Rockhold, said: “We're very happy to have this event here today and we're very happy that the authority of Thừa Thiên Huế invited foreign investors from not just the US, but Europe and everywhere to come here.”

 “It's straightforward for investors to come here once they heard of Huế going green. Going green and reaching zero carbon is so important now to new companies to set up and establish a business in Việt Nam, which means that they have already set up a policy to reach zero carbon. Going green is so important now for international companies to establish their images. That's why we had no problem bringing a lot of investors here today.”

Despite being badly impacted by COVID-19, Thừa Thiên Huế maintained Gross Regional Domestic Products growth of 4.36 per cent, earning an export turnover of $1 billion in 2021.

Huế, once the imperial capital in Việt Nam for over 100 years, has been a unique destination in central Việt Nam with its five UNESCO heritage offerings: the ancient citadel relic complex, Huế royal court music, Nguyễn Dynasty’s wooden blocks, Nguyễn Dynasty’s royal administrative documents, and literature on Huế royal architecture. 

The tourism hub in central Việt Nam aims to be a ‘zero plastic waste’ destination by 2030. — VNS