On August 14, 2026, in Auckland, the Viet Nam Trade Office under the Embassy of Viet Nam in New Zealand, in coordination with the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and the Auckland Business Chamber, organised a programme to introduce the Vietnamese market and facilitate business connections between companies from the two countries. The programme was held as part of a business delegation’s market survey and partner-search mission in New Zealand.

The event was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand Phan Minh Giang, Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive Simon Bridges, as well as representatives of Vietnamese and New Zealand businesses.

The event took place immediately after the State visit to New Zealand by General Secretary and President To Lam on August 12-13, 2026, helping translate high-level cooperation orientations between the two countries into practical business opportunities. Under the Vietnam-New Zealand Joint Statement, trade and economic integration remain important drivers of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two sides aim to further facilitate trade, remove non-tariff barriers, expand market access and make effective use of the CPTPP, RCEP and AANZFTA.

Expanding opportunities for business cooperation

The Vietnamese business delegation comprised companies operating in pharmaceuticals, agricultural products and food, consumer goods, trade and distribution, information technology and telecommunications, mechanical engineering and manufacturing, contract manufacturing, and footwear. The businesses were also seeking investment and market expansion opportunities.

New Zealand companies participating in the programme represented sectors including food, honey and natural products, logistics, hospitality and tourism, investment, real estate, education and professional services.

At the programme, the Viet Nam Trade Office in New Zealand provided an overview of the Vietnamese market, its business and investment environment, and opportunities for cooperation with Viet Nam. Viet Nam was presented as a market with considerable potential for New Zealand businesses, thanks to its network of free trade agreements, increasingly deep integration into regional supply chains, and development orientation based on digital transformation, innovation and green growth.

A key feature of the programme was direct business-to-business networking. Through discussions, companies from both sides explored their respective needs and capabilities and discussed potential cooperation in import and export, distribution, manufacturing, investment and services.

Working towards the USD 3 billion trade target

Trade data show that economic ties between Vietnam and New Zealand have maintained a growth trajectory. In the first six months of 2026, two-way trade reached approximately USD 845 million, up 15% year on year.

The target of raising bilateral trade to USD 3 billion has continued to feature in high-level discussions between the two countries. Earlier, on the morning of August 13, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of General Secretary and President To Lam’s State visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung and New Zealand Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay agreed to continue promoting trade and investment, expanding market access and strengthening business connectivity towards this target.

From a trade promotion perspective, direct business-matching programmes play an important role in translating cooperation orientations between the two governments into practical outcomes. Direct exchanges between companies on market demand, supply capabilities and potential partnerships can also help identify sectors with strong prospects for further development.

Through the Auckland programme, the Viet Nam Trade Office and Embassy of Vietnam in New Zealand continued to serve as a bridge between the two business communities, supporting companies in accessing markets, identifying partners and gradually turning high-level cooperation orientations into concrete business opportunities.

This is also an important avenue for broadening the foundation of economic and trade cooperation, contributing to more substantive development of Viet Nam-New Zealand relations and bringing the two countries closer to their USD 3 billion bilateral trade target.

Stronger direct business connections are expected to help Vietnamese and New Zealand companies move from exploring each other’s markets towards establishing concrete partnerships, particularly in areas with significant room for expanding trade and investment.