Viet Nam, Chile leverage complementary strengths in agritrade
Viet Nam is Chile’s largest trading partner in ASEAN, providing a favorable foundation for the two countries to further expand agricultural trade cooperation.
On August 26, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep met with Chilean Vice Minister of Agriculture Francesco Venezian Urzúa for a working meeting.
Increasing trade turnover and balancing the trade balance
The partnership between Viet Nam and Chile has been built and strengthened on a solid foundation, yet there remains significant room to expand trade, particularly in agricultural products. In 2025, two-way merchandise trade reached US$2.05 billion.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep noted that agricultural trade between the two countries has yet to match the potential and demand of their respective markets. Viet Nam’s and Chile’s agricultural products are highly complementary. Both sides should make better use of the preferential treatment under the Viet Nam - Chile Free Trade Agreement (VCFTA) and establish a joint working group to translate previously agreed high-level commitments into concrete actions.
Viet Nam has authorized the import of a wide range of products from Chile, including grapes, apples, cherries, cotton, soybeans, lily bulbs, various types of seeds and wood products. It is also continuing to consider market access for kiwifruit, blueberries, lemons and vegetable seeds.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep proposed that Chile give greater attention to facilitating market access for Viet Nam’s tropical fruits, such as passion fruit, longan and lychee. Seafood remains one of Viet Nam’s key export categories to Chile, but there is still considerable room to expand.
Viet Nam will issue a written response regarding import procedures for cherries transported by air, demonstrating its determination to address technical obstacles in a spirit of cooperation and facilitate the upcoming harvest season. Recently, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection organized field inspection missions to survey cherry orchards in Chile.
Regarding Chile’s proposal to export meat and meat products to Viet Nam, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that the Department of Animal Production and Veterinary Medicine is conducting the necessary assessments of Chile’s veterinary control system, disease situation and production facilities. Chile is also ready to cooperate with Viet Nam in the dairy sector, including supplying breeding stock and applying science, technology, and automation in livestock production.
Chile promotes business connectivity with Viet Nam
Vice Minister Francesco Venezian Urzúa said that Chile will organize a business delegation to Viet Nam in October for meetings and trade networking. Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep proposed that the delegation’s visit should not focus solely on promoting Chilean exports, but also help advance opportunities for bilateral cooperation, investment and trade.
Beyond government-level cooperation, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep emphasized that businesses should be regarded as the key actors in translating cooperation agreements into practice. Industry associations and enterprises from both countries need to strengthen exchanges, seek out partners and develop two-way cooperation value chains.
One area of particular interest to Viet Nam is Chile’s experience in responding to drought, using water resources efficiently and applying water-saving irrigation technologies. Viet Nam hopes to strengthen technical exchanges on climate-resilient agriculture, water resource management, and mutual support at multilateral climate forums.
According to Chile’s Vice Minister of Agriculture, Chile faces an arid climate, making drought and wildfires major challenges. The country has invested in risk assessment measures, early wildfire warning systems, and stronger prevention and response capacity.
Building on 55 years of diplomatic relations and the cooperation achievements to date, both sides expressed confidence that Viet Nam - Chile agricultural cooperation could enter a new phase, moving beyond market access for individual products toward establishing long-term cooperation mechanisms and making better use of the complementary strengths of the two agricultural sectors.
In the agricultural sector, based on the MoU signed by Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and Chile’s Ministry of Agriculture in November 2024, the two sides have established a framework for cooperation in the following areas: agricultural policy and rural development; veterinary and plant protection; science, technology and innovation; agricultural trade; climate change response; and the management and efficient use of water resources.
Kieu Chi