Vietnam has significant potential to expand agricultural cooperation with Chile, being the largest trading partner of this South American nation within ASEAN. Efforts to open markets for various agricultural products, enhance business connections, and share experiences in climate change adaptation are expected to contribute to increasing trade turnover, aiming for a more balanced import-export balance between the two countries.
The information was highlighted during a meeting with Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep and Chilean Deputy Minister of Agriculture Francesco Venezian Urzúa in Hanoi on August 26 to discuss solutions for promoting bilateral agricultural cooperation.
At the meeting, Mr, Urzúa announced that Chile would organize a business delegation to Vietnam in October to foster trade connections and explore cooperation opportunities.
According to the official, frequently facing prolonged droughts, Chile considers drought and forest fires as major challenges for its agriculture sector and seeks for opportunities to cooperate and share its experiences in this field with Vietnam.
On the occasion, Chile requested Vietnam to open its market for Chilean meat and meat products and facilitate the air transport of the country's cherries.
According to Deputy Minister Hiep, the total bilateral trade turnover reached $2.05 billion in 2025, however, agricultural trade between the two countries has not yet matched the potential and demand of each side.
He emphasized that Vietnamese and Chilean agricultural products are highly complementary, creating favorable conditions for expanding trade exchanges.
"Both countries need to effectively utilize the benefits from the Vietnam-Chile Free Trade Agreement (VCFTA) and establish a joint working group to concretize the cooperation commitments agreed upon by high-level leaders," said Mr. Hiep.
Currently, Vietnam allows the import of various agricultural products from Chile, such as grapes, apples, cherries, cotton, soybeans, lily bulbs, seeds, and wood products. Vietnam is also considering opening its market to Chilean kiwis, blueberries, lemons, and some vegetable seeds.
Conversely, he urged Chile to promote market access for Vietnamese tropical fruits such as passion fruit, longan, and lychee. Seafood remains one of Vietnam's main export groups to Chile, yet there is still significant room for growth.
Regarding Chile's request to facilitate the import of cherries by air, the Deputy Minister mentioned that Vietnam would soon issue a written response to resolve technical issues, creating favorable conditions for the upcoming harvest season. Previously, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection organized field surveys in Chile's cherry-growing regions.
For the proposal to export meat and meat products to Vietnam, he stated that the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary is evaluating Chile's veterinary control system, disease conditions, and production facilities according to regulations. Additionally, Chile expressed its willingness to cooperate with Vietnam in dairy cattle breeding, providing breeding stock, technology transfer, and production automation.
Deputy Minister Hiep suggested that this activity should not only focus on promoting Chilean goods exports but also expand into investment, trade, and value chain development cooperation between businesses of the two countries.
"Businesses are the direct force to realize cooperation agreements. Therefore, industry associations and business communities of both countries need to enhance information exchange, seek partners, and build sustainable two-way cooperation chains," said Mr. Hiep.
Beyond trade, the two sides also discussed various topics related to climate change adaptation. Vietnam expressed its desire to learn from Chile's experiences in drought response, efficient water resource use, and the application of water-saving irrigation technology in agricultural production.
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