HCMC – Vietnamese traders should cooperate with distributors in South Korea to export fresh vegetables and fruits to this market, said Le An Hai, Vietnam’s commercial counselor in South Korea.
Hai told the Daily that the cooperation with giant South Korean firms, especially Lotte, would be the right way to go in the following year to ship Vietnamese farm produce to this country.
Vietnam Trade Office in South Korea and the Ministry of Trade and Industry last week cooperated with Lotte Group to hold a conference to provide local firms with information about South Korea’s import requirements.
Lotte, operating 96 supermarkets and distributing one quarter of commodities in South Korea, has pledged to increase imports from Vietnam, said Hai. The firm is also cooperating with the trade office to seek Vietnamese suppliers, he added.
“Lotte is willing to transfer its technology and help Vietnam to access the South Korean market,” he said.
Vietnamese vegetables have an advantage in Korea as the winter there lasts five months, making fresh vegetables during these months quite expensive.
For example, Vietnamese cabbage is priced at around 50 cents while the price in Korea is US$3.5-5, and thus vegetables from Vietnam still has competitive advantage even when being taxed 30-40%.
South Korea has imported vegetables from China and is now looking to Vietnam. Besides, Vietnam needs to make full use of agreements signed with South Korea, according to Hai.
Currently, Vietnam has exported cabbage and dragon fruits to this market.
