Halal Cooperation between Vietnam

The Letter of Intent on Halal Cooperation helps to solve one of the major difficulties of domestic enterprises when exporting to the Malaysian market regarding Halal certification.

Within the framework of the official visit to Malaysia by General Secretary To Lam and his wife from November 21-23, 2024, with the approval of Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, the Asia-Africa Market Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and the Halal Cooperation Agency, under the Malaysian Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, signed a Letter of Intent on Halal cooperation.

Informing about the meaning and importance of this Letter of Intent, the Leader of the Asia - Africa Market Department said that the Letter of Intent will be an important document contributing to the results of General Secretary To Lam's visit to Malaysia and will be the direction for implementing practical cooperation activities in this field.

In Malaysia, on November 22, with the approval of Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, the Asia-Africa Market Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and the Halal Cooperation Agency, under the Malaysian Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, signed a Letter of Intent on Halal cooperation. Photo: Mai Anh

Mr. Le Phu Cuong - Commercial Counselor, Vietnam Trade Office in Malaysia - also acknowledged that the newly signed Letter of Intent is of great significance, thereby supporting the recognition of the common goals of both sides in training, organizing exhibitions, seminars and conferences on Halal products in Vietnam and Malaysia. This activity not only helps to improve the understanding of businesses about Halal exports to the Malaysian market but also to the Muslim markets in general.

" So far, only about 1,000 enterprises exporting to the Malaysian market have Halal certificates for about 3,000 products. This agreement will help solve one of the major difficulties of Vietnamese enterprises exporting to the Malaysian market, which is Halal certificates" - Counselor Le Phu Cuong informed and emphasized that currently, the potential for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, including the fields of energy and Halal products, is still very large, but in order for this cooperation to become more substantial and effective, the two sides need to further promote trade promotion activities, connect businesses to promote each other's products, and at the same time promote the search and cooperation in areas where both sides have strengths.

The letter of intent will help solve one of the major difficulties of Vietnamese enterprises exporting to the Malaysian market, which is Halal certification. Photo: Mai Anh

Notably, Halal cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia has always been emphasized by senior leaders during bilateral meetings and meetings. Previously, during the official visits of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to Vietnam in March 2021 and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in March 2022, the leaders of the two countries focused on discussing expanding cooperation in the development of Halal, logistics, Islamic finance and banking, tourism and Muslim-friendly hotel services, healthcare services and Halal beverages.

Regarding the Industry and Trade sector, most recently, within the framework of the 4th Meeting of the Vietnam - Malaysia Joint Committee on Trade held in Hanoi in July 2024, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien and the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia affirmed that Halal is a potential area of ​​cooperation, playing a very important role, not only helping to increase bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and Malaysia but also helping businesses on both sides exploit opportunities to promote trade with other markets.

Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Zafrul Abdul Aziz said that Halal industrial cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia can help Vietnamese goods reach nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide, accounting for more than 24% of the world's population. He affirmed that Malaysia is willing to share and support Vietnam in improving its capacity in the Halal value chain. Specifically, producing products that meet Halal standards, which must be controlled from the origin, to retailers, restaurants, online shopping and even to consumers.

Assessing Vietnam's potential and advantages in developing the Halal industry, Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Dato' Tan Yang Thai said that with its strategic location in Southeast Asia, close to major Muslim markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, Vietnam has many opportunities for trade and export of Halal products.

In addition, Vietnam has a diverse and developed agriculture with many types of crops and livestock, which is a solid foundation for the Halal food industry. If there is a certification process, Vietnamese products will be suitable for the Halal market.

In addition, the tourism industry also brings opportunities for Vietnam to become a popular destination for Muslim tourists. Through further development of Halal-certified tourism services and products, Vietnam can attract more tourists from the Muslim world, significantly boosting tourism revenue.

According to economic experts, the cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia in the Halal industry is not only about leveraging each other’s strengths but also creating a cross-border symbiotic relationship. In particular, enhancing market access, complying with international standards and promoting innovation in Halal are the initial steps. Malaysia supports training for Vietnamese localities and businesses on production processes and Halal certification.

Malaysia is currently Vietnam's second largest trading partner in ASEAN (after Thailand) and 11th in the world. Vietnam is Malaysia's third largest trading partner in ASEAN, while Malaysia is Vietnam's second largest investor in ASEAN (after Singapore) and ranks 11th out of 143 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

2025 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership (August 2015-August 2025) between the two countries. The two countries are constantly moving towards more comprehensive and cohesive cooperation in all areas, from politics, security - defense to economy. In particular, the development of the Halal industry is identified as a priority area with the expectation of creating golden opportunities for both sides.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/hop-tac-halal-giua-viet-nam-malaysia-dau-moc-moi-tao-dot-pha-thuong-mai-song-phuong-360390.html