Director of the Ministry’s African, West and South Asian Market Department Tran Quang Huy informed businessmen at a workshop exploring business opportunities in the region in Ho Chi Minh City on April 18.
Despite holding huge potential in oil and gas, fuel and finance, the Middle East needs to import such products as milk, pepper, cashew nuts and rice, which are not abundant there because of harsh weather conditions.
According to him, it is time for Vietnamese firms to jump in the region, especially in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries where import duties are as low as 5-0 percent. He also advised them to set sight on the markets of Turkey, Israel, Iran and Iraq.
However, food exporters need to fully abide by regulations on Halal processed food, making it easier for them to ship abroad.
Last year, Vietnam raked in nearly 6.7 billion USD from exports to the Middle East, including 184 million USD from milk and dairy products.-VNA
