Currently, Algeria is one of Vietnam’s 10 consumers of raw coffee globally, with Vietnamese coffee accounting for between 30% and 50% of the North African country’s imported coffee market share.
For many years, coffee has also been Vietnam’s leading export product to the Algerian market, making up over 60% of the country's total export value of coffee to this market.
With a population of more than 46 million, Algeria imports roughly 130,000 tonnes of coffee beans of all kinds worth about US$300 million annually, with Robusta coffee alone making up the majority of its total coffee imports at over 85%.
Coffee is often imported in its raw form and is then roasted and processed by Algerian processors cater to the taste of local consumers.
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| Photo for illustration. (Source: congthuong.vn) |
The major coffee suppliers to this market include Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, the Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
Hoang Duc Nhuan, Vietnamese trade counselor in Algeria, noted that there remains plenty of room for Vietnamese coffee exports to this market as local coffee has been favoured by Algerian importers and consumers thanks to its overall quality and flavour.
Despite the geographical distance between the two countries, Vietnamese coffee is still prioritised for import into Algeria and often holds the largest market share, Nhuan noted
At present, Algerian importers are interested in the supply source of green coffee beans from Vietnam as the Southeast Asian country begins to enter the harvest season.
Aside from Algeria, Vietnamese raw coffee boasts great potential to expand market share in other African countries, especially North Africa such as Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.
According to industry insiders, Vietnamese coffee export firms can proactively seek import partners for the upcoming harvest season by actively participating in international fairs and exhibitions, along with trade conferences through Vietnamese Trade Offices set up in a number of North African countries.
Vietnam advised to expand exports, hold new markets
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| Businesses propose that the Vietnamese government and relevant ministries continue to collaborate with them in exploring new partnerships, markets, and customers through the implementation of trade promotion programmes and the signing of free trade agreements and cooperation protocols. (Photo: VNA) |
Exports, in addition to consumption and investment, play a crucial role in propelling Vietnam's economy beyond challenges, aiming to swiftly revive it, reported Vietnam News Agency.
The latest report from the World Bank (WB) updating Vietnam's macroeconomic situation in October noted that exports and imports continue to recover, meeting the increasing demand from abroad. Although the export situation has shown signs of improvement since May, the cumulative figure for the first 10 months remained lower than the same period in 2022. However, this indicator shows positive signals, reflecting the high competitiveness of many export goods and services that Vietnam excels in.
Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, acknowledged that by focusing on promoting exports, Vietnam is correct in pursuing a self-reliance policy through integration to increase market share for goods and services shipped overseas, including those with advantages in high-demand global markets.
However, in the long run, Vietnam may lose competitiveness in some price-sensitive export sectors, especially in labour-intensive manufacturing or agriculture. This underscores the importance of quickly expanding markets and holding new ones as demand is expected to increase.
To promote sustainable export development and enhance Vietnam's export competitiveness, Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Agency of Foreign Trade, held that measures need to be developed to support production, create a sustainable supply, and expand into new export markets. Furthermore, the government needs to continue refining its institutional framework, and strengthen state management in import-export activities to facilitate fair trade and counter fraud.
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| Garment production at the May 10 company in Sai Dong, Long Bien district, Hanoi. (Photo: VNA) |
From a business perspective, Le Tien Truong, Chairman of the Vietnam National Garment and Textile Group (Vinatex), said to enhance Vietnam's export competitiveness, it is necessary to focus on investing in automation to increase productivity and efficiency, reduce labour costs, and improve the quality and consistency of products.
Businesses also proposed that the government and relevant ministries continue to collaborate with them in exploring new partnerships, markets, and customers through the implementation of trade promotion programmes and the signing of free trade agreements and cooperation protocols. Additionally, they recommended the formulation of policies to encourage the shift towards green and sustainable production.
HaNoi Midnight Sale 2023 draws over 2.4 million shoppers
HaNoi Midnight Sale, a large-scale concentrated promotion event that took place in the capital city from November 24-25, attracted about 2.4 million shoppers who enjoyed more than 3,000 promotion programmes worth over VND25 trillion (US$1.03 billion), up 20% over last year’s edition, reported Vietnam News Agency.
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| Shoppers at AEON Mall (Photo: VNA) |
This year, it drew about 200 businesses, trade centres and producers, and fashion brands. There were over 10 million visits to the online shopping website.
A highlight of the event is a flash sale display area at Big C Thang Long supermarket with the participation of nearly 20 brands offering discout of up to 70%.
A representative from Big C stated that the supermarket experienced a significant spike in visits, almost 230% higher than on other days of the week. Online shopping through the Zalo app also doubled. Key discounted items such as groceries, fresh produce, fast-moving consumer goods and non-food items were in high demand.
The Winmart chain also reported a 140% increase in sales and visits compared to other days of the week.
Japan's AEON reported that sales and foot traffic at AEON Mall Ha Dong and AEON Mall Long Bien malls increased by nearly 200% during the three-day event. The website and mobile app traffic for shopping also nearly tripled compared to regular weekdays.
According to a representative from the BRGMart supermarket chain, they saw a sale increase of over 130%. BRG's shopping website saw approximately double the usual shopping traffic.
The HaNoi Midnight Sale event concluded the Hanoi concentrated promotion programme, which took place in May, July and November, with more than 2,000 outlets engaging all economic sectors, aiming to stimulate consumption, reduce inventories, and contribute to promote Hanoi’s economic growth.
RoK’s Chungcheong region enhances tourism cooperation with Ha Long
Authorities and the tourism sector of the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Chungcheong region are seeking ways to boost tourism cooperation with Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage in the northern province of Quang Ninh, reported Vietnam News Agency.
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| Ha Long Bay (Photo: VNA) |
According to the tourism council of the region which comprises Daejeon, Sejong, South Chungcheong, and North Chungcheong, recently representatives from the RoK discussed with those from Vietnamese localities on the opening of a direct air route between Cheongju and Van Don airports, and other measures to promote exchanges between the two countries.
Earlier, representatives from the tourism council of the region visited Ha Long city where they signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Vietnamese tourism sector.
A Ha Long K-Street imbued with the Korean style is expected to be put into operation next April, with an aim to promote the country’s culture in the city.
Ha Long Bay attracts around 14 million tourists each year./.