Exports under pressure from global trade restructuring

As the global economy continues to experience profound shifts and supply chains undergo accelerated restructuring, the forum titled “Solutions to Enhance the Competitiveness of Vietnam’s Export Products in Global Trade Chains” was held in Hanoi on February 3.

The event took place as part of the first Spring Fair 2026, the year’s inaugural national-scale trade promotion event held under the direction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and jointly organized by the Trade Promotion Agency and Alibaba.com.

In his opening remarks, Hoang Minh Chien, Deputy Director General of the Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade), noted that Vietnam’s export sector is facing mounting challenges as trade protectionism intensifies, alongside increasingly stringent requirements related to sustainable development, environmental and social standards, traceability, and digital transformation.

“These new requirements are placing considerable pressure on Vietnamese exporters, forcing industries to rethink their mindset and market-access approaches,” Hoang Minh Chien said.

In today’s deepening integration, export competitiveness is no longer driven solely by cost advantages or volume, but increasingly by quality, value added and the ability to integrate more deeply into global trade chains. According to Hoang Minh Chien, Vietnam’s export industries are now tasked not only with sustaining growth, but more importantly with strengthening the substantive competitiveness of products across the entire value chain.

“Value creation cannot stop at production. It must run throughout the chain from design and raw materials to manufacturing, branding, distribution and expansion into international markets,” he stressed.

In practice, key export sectors such as textiles and garments, footwear, wood and forestry products, and handicrafts are under growing pressure to upgrade technologies, improve product quality and comply with new environmental and social standards in order to maintain and expand their presence in major markets.

A substantive dialogue platform for businesses

Against this backdrop, the forum was designed as an open, practical and forward-looking dialogue platform, bringing together policymakers, industry associations, trade promotion organizations, international partners and the business community to share insights, exchange experience and propose solutions.

According to Hoang Minh Chien, the forum went beyond information-sharing, aiming instead to help businesses identify concrete and viable pathways aligned with the new dynamics of global trade.

“This is a space for policy dialogue, experience-sharing and practical solutions, helping Vietnamese enterprises integrate more deeply into global trade chains,” he said.

Through thematic panel discussions, the forum focused on market trends and export opportunities for key industries; solutions to enhance value added and supply-chain sustainability; the role of innovation, digital transformation and e-commerce in export development; as well as practical models and experience in branding and international market expansion.

A notable highlight was the role of B2B e-commerce in supporting exporters’ access to global markets. As traditional trade channels face growing barriers, digital platforms are increasingly becoming critical tools that enable businesses to connect directly with international buyers.

Emphasizing this point, Chien said that digital transformation and e-commerce are no longer optional trends, but essential requirements for exporters.

“Through initiatives such as the Vietnam Pavilion, we aim to support Vietnamese enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized firms in enhancing international market access, strengthening brand visibility and expanding sustainable business cooperation,” he said.

At the forum, several successful models of leveraging B2B e-commerce particularly via Alibaba.com were shared, offering practical lessons for the export business community.

According to the organizers, participating companies not only gained updates on market trends and export-support policies, but were also equipped with hands-on knowledge to enhance export competitiveness in a sustainable, value-added and digitally driven manner, toward long-term and effective development.

The forum was held as part of the first Spring Fair 2026, a comprehensive economic, trade, cultural and external-relations event expected to evolve into a strategic trade promotion platform, linking supply and demand, supporting market expansion and stimulating domestic consumption.

Within this broader framework, the forum served as a specialized, complementary activity that directly reinforced the fair’s objectives, enhancing trade promotion effectiveness, increasing the value of cooperation, and amplifying the image and brand of Vietnamese products across global trade chains.