Returning to Vietnam for the third time, Mr. Inam Ahmad Zia Ahmad, an importer from the Middle East, is still amazed by the modernity of Vinamilk's milk factories. Not only does it have Halal - a mandatory standard for exporting to Muslim countries, but the "collection" of world-leading standards such as Global GAP, Organic EU, FDA, ISO 9001, FSSC 22000... is enough for the products of this "giant" in the dairy industry to be present in many demanding markets.

Knowing about Vinamilk at an international fair more than 10 years ago, Mr. Zia Ahmad decided to cooperate to distribute Vietnamese baby milk powder to the Afghan market.

“Not only do they have products that fully meet Halal standards, they also have very professional services, supporting us to reach consumers, carry out promotional programs or seminars on health and nutrition for customers. In addition to infant formula, we are expanding to many other milk lines to meet higher market demand,” added Mr. Zia Ahmad.

Vinamilk 1.jpg
Mr. Inam Ahmad Zia Ahmad directly came to learn about production technology at Vinamilk factories. Photo: Vinamilk

With revenue growing many times after more than 10 years of market penetration, Vinamilk's Alpha brand has become familiar and widely available everywhere... Not only Afghanistan, Halal markets are accounting for nearly 80% of Vinamilk's export revenue. Among them, there are market groups with high growth in both contribution and value, with some markets even having an estimated growth rate of more than 80% in 2024.

A trillion-dollar market has opened up.

With about 2 billion consumers concentrated in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa and some Southeast Asian countries, the Halal product market is considered a “golden land” for export enterprises. In which, high-quality agricultural products, especially clean and organic products with Halal certification account for a large proportion.

From a business perspective, Mr. Vo Trung Hieu - Vinamilk International Business Director - said: “The Halal product market has great potential. Not only the Muslim community, consumers in developed countries such as the US, Russia, EU... are also very interested in this standard because of its safety, quality and sustainability. Vietnam's recent expansion of free trade agreements, especially the CEPA Agreement (Vietnam - UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), is creating great opportunities for domestic enterprises to approach this large customer group”.

Regarding Vinamilk's orientation towards this market group, Mr. Hieu shared that the company aims to maintain a 5-10% output growth for traditional markets. At the same time, it is researching suitable products to expand into large markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, etc., aiming to serve the Muslim community in this region.

Vinamilk 2.jpg
Not only targeting Muslim countries, Halal-certified products also help expand customer base in Asian countries. Photo: Vinamilk

Is opportunity for the majority?

According to experts, although it is a large, potential market with favorable geographical location, Vietnamese goods in general and agricultural and aquatic products in particular entering the Halal market are only at the initial stages of exploration.

To “unlock” the market potential of countries that only consume Halal products, enterprises need to pay attention and comply with the implementation of certification and the selection of the right reputable certification organization. With their experience, Vinamilk representative added that the exporting unit needs to discuss with partners to clearly understand the specific regulations of each market.

At Vinamilk, the research and practice of this standard began very early, even when Vietnam did not have an official certification agency. Currently, all 387 export products of this unit meet Halal standards, including powdered milk, condensed milk, nutritional powder, yogurt, drinking yogurt, etc.

Vinamilk 3.jpg
The Halal logo on the product is the manufacturer's commitment to consumers. Photo: Vinamilk

“For Vinamilk, achieving Halal standards is not too difficult because we have experience and confidence in our quality management process from production to transportation. However, we believe that the Halal logo on the product is not only a certification, but also a commitment from the manufacturer to consumers. This commitment includes many factors behind it, from finding suitable products and flavors, ensuring production practices according to Halal standards to after-sales programs, packaging design... suitable for market characteristics,” Vinamilk representative further explained.

Along with certification, close ties with partners, according to Vinamilk, are one of the main “secrets” that help businesses “take root” in a market for 10-20 years. Through local partners, this exporter can provide products that closely match consumer needs, as well as design packaging, advertising, brand images, etc. that are suitable for the culture and tastes of each market. This is even more important for Muslim countries.

Vinamilk 4.jpg
Vinamilk regularly signs large contracts worth millions of dollars with customers from the Halal market at the Gulfood international fair in Dubai. Photo: Vinamilk

In addition, actively participating in trade promotion activities such as fairs, exhibitions, networking, etc. was also revealed by Vinamilk representatives as an effective channel to expand export markets, not just for Halal products. In 2024, the company participated in nearly 20 fairs, exhibitions and trade promotion activities, through which many million-dollar contracts were signed.

In early 2025, this exporter will continue to be present at the world's second largest food fair - Gulfood in Dubai - which is considered a gateway to Halal markets such as the Middle East, Africa and Southwest Asia.

Tu Uyen