More than just a title, the National Outstanding Rural Industrial Product (RISEP) designation is increasingly becoming a “passport” that enables rural industrial products to strengthen their brands, expand market access, and gradually integrate more deeply into domestic and international value chains.

RISEP: A “passport” for rural industrial products

Having been awarded the National Outstanding Rural Industrial Product (RISEP) title for two consecutive terms in 2023 and 2025, the collection of wooden cups, bowls, plates, and cutting boards produced by Chan Tinh Production and Trading Co., Ltd. is gaining new opportunities to expand its export markets.

Speaking with Vietnam Economic News, Le Tho Tinh, Director of Chan Tinh Production and Trading Co., Ltd., said that the company’s products are currently available in several Asian markets, including Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), and China. These are all highly demanding markets with stringent requirements regarding quality, traceability, and product safety standards.

Amid increasingly intense competition, particularly as Vietnamese goods compete directly with similar products from other countries in the region, building credibility and earning customer trust have become critically important. For many rural industrial establishments, this remains a significant challenge due to limited production capacity and constrained resources for brand promotion.

Against this backdrop, recognition as a National Outstanding Rural Industrial Product carries significance far beyond mere commendation. The designation serves as a mark of quality assurance, helping enterprises enhance their product image and facilitating access to customers, business partners, and distributors both at home and abroad.

For many businesses, obtaining the national RISEP title has helped build trust among customers while opening doors to deeper participation in international distribution networks. In this regard, the designation has proven to be a powerful catalyst for elevating brand value and strengthening market competitiveness.

In practice, products selected as RISEP winners are typically distinguished by their quality, innovation, market responsiveness, and growth potential. Many products have expanded production scale, increased revenues, and created additional employment opportunities for local workers after receiving the recognition.

Particularly as green consumption trends continue to gain momentum worldwide, many of Vietnam’s rural industrial products possess notable competitive advantages. These include environmentally friendly characteristics, the use of natural materials, consumer safety, and strong connections to local cultural values.

For Chan Tinh’s wooden products, the competitive edge lies not only in their aesthetics but also in their ability to meet growing demand for sustainable consumption. These qualities are helping the company successfully penetrate some of Asia’s most discerning markets.

As Vietnam continues to promote a green economy and enhance the value of domestically manufactured goods, RISEP is increasingly emerging as an effective mechanism for helping rural industrial products improve competitiveness and broaden their market reach.

From recognition to a comprehensive support ecosystem

What sets the Outstanding Rural Industrial Product program apart is not only the recognition it confers but also the support mechanisms that accompany products after they receive the designation.

According to statistics from the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, approximately 800 products nationwide have been awarded the National Outstanding Rural Industrial Product title over six rounds of selection.

RISEP helps strengthen product branding and build trust among consumers and business partners. Of these, more than 80% have continued to benefit from industrial promotion programs, including support for machinery and equipment upgrades, adoption of new technologies, development of technical demonstration models, and trade promotion activities.

Beyond that, over 70% of the recognized products have entered distribution channels and supply chains across the country. These figures clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of industrial promotion initiatives in supporting rural industrial establishments after they have been honored.

In reality, many rural industrial producers face persistent challenges related to investment capital, production technology, marketing activities, and market development. Recognition alone would be insufficient to generate substantive change. By linking the selection process with industrial promotion policies, the program has created a relatively comprehensive support ecosystem for enterprises.

According to Nguyen Thi Lam Giang, Director of the Agency for Innovation, Green Transition and Industry Promotion, recognition as a RISEP product brings numerous tangible benefits to rural industrial establishments. In addition to being authorized to use the program’s logo on their products, recipients receive priority access to industrial promotion funding, trade promotion activities, and media exposure opportunities.

More importantly, the RISEP designation helps position product brands and build confidence among consumers and business partners. This provides a crucial foundation for rural industrial products to integrate more deeply into value chains, expand domestic market presence, and move toward export markets.

Experts note that one of the key factors underpinning the credibility of the RISEP system is its rigorous multi-tier evaluation process, which progresses from the grassroots level to provincial, regional, and national levels. Products are assessed against a broad range of criteria, including production development potential, economic performance, technical attributes, social and environmental impacts, cultural value, aesthetics, and export prospects.

This process not only ensures transparency, objectivity, and fairness but also encourages enterprises, cooperatives, and rural industrial establishments to continuously improve their products and enhance production quality.

As Vietnam accelerates digital transformation, green transition, and innovation, the role of the RISEP program is becoming increasingly evident. Beyond identifying high-quality products with strong development potential, the program also helps promote Vietnamese rural industrial products to a broader audience of consumers both domestically and internationally.

The experience of Chan Tinh Production and Trading Co., Ltd. illustrates that when products meet stringent requirements in terms of quality, safety, environmental sustainability, and practical value and are further endorsed by the RISEP designation the opportunities for market expansion become significantly greater.

Over the longer term, RISEP is expected to continue serving as an extension of Vietnam’s industrial promotion efforts, helping strengthen the competitiveness of rural industrial establishments, foster innovation, support sustainable production, and gradually bring more Vietnamese products to international markets.

After six rounds of selection, approximately 800 products nationwide have been recognized as National Outstanding Rural Industrial Products. More than 80% of these products have continued to receive support from industrial promotion programs, while over 70% have entered distribution channels and supply chains across the country. These figures demonstrate that RISEP has evolved beyond a recognition program to become an important driver for the modern and sustainable development of rural industrial products.