Vietnam, an open, dynamic economy, has signed many free trade agreements enabling Vietnamese exporters to enjoy zero tariffs when exporting to partners. Vietnam is becoming a new global supply and manufacturing hub offering a wide range of products. Customer demand on e-commerce platforms is moving toward a greater diversity of supply sources across different geographic areas.
These advantages, plus the continuous improvement of product quality and production capacity and strong digital transformation are helping Vietnamese businesses promote cross-border exports through e-commerce platforms. A number of Vietnamese enterprises, for example, have promoted retail exports through e-commerce channels such as Alibaba and Amazon.
To Nghiep Sieu, Deputy Director of Hanh Sanh Production Trading Service One Member Co., Ltd., said that since the company joined the Alibaba e-commerce platform in 2019, its revenue in the international market has grown to 150,000 USD. Through Alibaba, Hanh Sanh has sold goods to seven countries.
“Since joining, our company has received many orders from multinational customers. If an overseas order costs 100 million USD, it requires minimum of a few thousand USD for an online order. A booth on an e-commerce platform is maintained round the clock,” Sieu told VOV.
Similarly, Organic Kentary Company in Ho Chi Minh City has been exporting dried fruits through Alibaba.com for more than a year. A company representative said the company's exports have grown as a result. In the first five months of this year alone, it earned 2 million USD from exports, twice as much as last year.
Minmax Import-Export Investment Joint Stock Company also says doing business on virtual platforms has helped its products reach customers worldwide. The company's direct exports through traditional methods account for only 40% and the rest is via e-commerce platforms, said Minmax Director To Thi Hong Diep, adding that international partners can find goods, suppliers, and traders on e-commerce platforms instead of attending in-person exhibitions.
“This is a global trend and all businesses that are planning to expand to the international market should join e-commerce platforms immediately,” according to Diep.
Digital export offers opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises in all fields and industries. Eight export industries are forecast to see rapid growth and domestic companies should seize this opportunity. The eight industries are home and gardening, beauty and personal care, food and beverages, agriculture, garments, packaging accessories, printing, and interiors. Home and gardening products will likely grow from 270% to 870% and beauty and personal care will increase 330%.
But to ensure successful transactions on platforms with demanding customers, Vietnamese manufacturers and distributors will need support and proper training from relevant agencies.
Nguyen Van Thanh, Director of the Center for E-commerce Development of the E-commerce and Digital Economy Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that Vietnam has many regional specialties, but sales are often through consignment companies that buy and then export across the border. In this model the producers of the products don’t benefit much.
“Cross-border e-commerce can help manufacturers do the exporting themselves,” Thanh concluded.
Vietnam earned 14 billion USD in export value via cross-border e-commerce platforms in 2023. Cross-border e-commerce will certainly open up more export opportunities for Vietnamese businesses, help increase recognition of Vietnamese goods and their foothold in the global market.