Vietnam and the United States are considering opening wider doors for new types of fruits, including Vietnamese passion fruits and U.S. lemons.

A business delegation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entered Vietnam on Monday to implement a series of farm produce promotion activities.

According to the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the delegation, led by USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor, will be in Vietnam until Friday.

The U.S. is a key export market of Vietnam, while the Southeast Asian nation is the former’s second-largest market of farm produce and food exports, Taylor said.

Agricultural products of the two nations can complement each other, especially fruits, she said, adding that the two sides will consider exporting Vietnam’s yellow passion fruits to the U.S. and shipping U.S. lemons to Vietnam.

The delegation includes representatives from 58 U.S. agricultural firms and organizations, plus nine U.S. states.

All delegates will join various activities at supermarkets and stores, as well as carry out on-site surveys at production facilities that are already using materials imported from the U.S. such as grains, cereals, and wheat flour.

The delegation started its working trip by attending the opening ceremony of the ‘United Tastes’ event, an annual celebration that has become a cornerstone in Vietnam-U.S. relations, at the MM Mega Market in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City on Monday.

For the week of the event, Vietnamese consumers receive discounts of up to 30 percent while buying fresh U.S. products at MM Mega Markets. 

These products include fresh foods like Tyson chicken, beef, and potatoes, as well as Envy, Jazz, and Fuji apples, grapes, cherries, and oranges. Additionally, dry goods such as sauces, chocolates, wheat, and nuts are available, along with beverages like wine and juices.

The event will also feature special promotions, food sampling, and cooking demonstrations.

The visit is meant to provide insights into the Vietnamese retail industry and consumer preferences, and to strengthen global business connections and understanding of Vietnam’s market dynamics, according to Taylor.

Though the delegation is working in Vietnam, its trip will give U.S. agricultural enterprises a chance to tap the Southeast Asian market due to the participation in the event by potential customers from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Bruno Jousselin, managing director of MM Mega Market Vietnam excitedly remarks, “The event marks the third year of our partnership with the USDA, bringing directly imported premium U.S. food and beverages closer to our household B2C and professional B2B customers.” 

Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations are seen as potential markets for U.S. exporters thanks to the increasing incomes of consumers, the higher number of middle-class people, and a positive understanding of U.S. food.

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