Promoting economic and trade cooperation

From 13-15 May 2025, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang led a working delegation to Bangladesh to attend and co-chair the Third Session of the Vietnam – Bangladesh Joint Trade Sub-Committee together with Bangladesh’s Deputy Minister of Commerce Mahbubur Rahman.

On this occasion, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang also co-chaired the Vietnam – Bangladesh Business Forum 2025, which drew the participation of more than 150 delegates representing ministries, agencies, trade promotion organisations and the business communities of both countries.

The Third Session of the Joint Trade Sub-Committee took place against the backdrop of increasingly positive development in Vietnam – Bangladesh relations. At the session, the two sides reviewed the implementation of the agreements reached at the previous session, discussed outstanding issues, and proposed new directions to promote substantive cooperation in the economic and trade fields.

The two sides reaffirmed their goal of bringing bilateral trade turnover to the USD 2 billion mark soon and agreed to strengthen coordination to remove barriers and facilitate business for enterprises of both countries. Vietnam highly appreciated the close coordination from the Bangladeshi side, and affirmed it would continue to proactively promote cooperation in areas such as pharmaceuticals, information and communication technology, agricultural products, Halal products, construction materials and logistics.

In particular, the Vietnamese side proposed that the two sides soon establish a mechanism for mutual recognition of Halal certification, while also promoting the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in information technology. In the pharmaceuticals sector – one of Bangladesh’s strengths – the Bangladeshi side proposed that the two sides set up a Technical Working Group to further facilitate product registration and marketing authorisation.

The two sides also took note of the proposal for direct air connectivity between Vietnam and Bangladesh, viewing it as one of the important factors in reducing logistics costs and promoting trade, tourism and people-to-people exchange.

Regarding market access for Bangladeshi potatoes, Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade said it had actively coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to guide the export-country registration procedures. The Bangladeshi side has begun submitting its application and has been advised to continue proactively liaising with the relevant specialised agency to complete it in accordance with regulations.

Encouraging enterprises of both countries to proactively exchange information

On the afternoon of 14 May 2025, the Vietnam – Bangladesh Business Forum 2025, chaired by Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang, took place with an active atmosphere. There, Deputy Minister Thang delivered remarks emphasising the role of enterprises in promoting substantive cooperation between the two countries and calling on enterprises of both sides to proactively share information, seek partners and build stable, long-term cooperative relationships.

Within the framework of the Forum, nearly 20 Vietnamese enterprises took part in direct matching sessions with more than 130 Bangladeshi enterprises, focused on sectors such as construction materials, pharmaceuticals, food, technology equipment, agricultural products and e-commerce. A number of initial cooperation opportunities were established, opening up prospects for specific contracts in the coming period. Enterprises also brought and displayed goods for B2B introduction to Bangladeshi enterprises at the two sides’ trade exhibition area.

On the sidelines of the session and the Vietnam – Bangladesh Business Forum, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang also met with the Embassy of Vietnam in Bangladesh, and visited and worked at the FPT IS Bangladesh Office to get an update on the business situation and operations of Vietnamese enterprises in Bangladesh.

The working trip and chairing of this session by Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang helped maintain the annual bilateral trade cooperation mechanism, while creating new momentum for the business communities of both countries amid a global trade landscape that is recovering and restructuring.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to stand alongside enterprises, coordinating closely with Bangladeshi partners to promote initiatives and programmes for trade cooperation, investment and business connectivity between the two countries in the coming period.