Vietnamese goods are seeing major opportunities in the Australian market. In addition to traditional export items, new product categories — such as fresh chicken and Ca Mau crab — are being encouraged to enter this high-potential market.
Strong Opportunities for Vietnam’s Agricultural and Seafood Exports
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Australia remains Vietnam’s largest trading partner in Oceania and the top export destination in the region, accounting for 88% of Vietnam’s total trade with Oceania.
According to Vietnam Customs, bilateral trade reached over USD 1.5 billion in January 2025, with Vietnam’s exports to Australia growing 13.9% year-on-year — a remarkable increase at a time when Vietnam’s total exports declined by 4.3%.
Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoa, Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, emphasized that agriculture, forestry, seafood, and fruit and vegetables still have vast room for growth. Australian consumers are increasingly receptive to Vietnamese products, which are now available even in remote regions such as the Northern Territory.
In 2024, Vietnam’s export performance to Australia was particularly strong:
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Agricultural products and fruits: USD 111 million (+25%)
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Seafood: USD 343 million (+9%)
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Coffee: +48.3%
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Rice: +17%
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Confectionery: +23%
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Rubber: +17%
“These impressive figures show that Vietnamese agricultural and seafood products have great potential to expand further in the Australian market in 2025,” said Mr. Hoa.
Trade Agreements Creating Competitive Advantages
According to Mr. Hoa, Vietnam’s export success to Australia has been driven by free trade agreements (FTAs) — especially new-generation FTAs such as the RCEP and CPTPP, which have significantly improved market access and competitiveness for Vietnamese goods.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Mien Ha, Director of International Markets at Sao Thai Duong JSC, noted that the CPTPP Agreement has provided preferential tariff reductions, helping her company lower costs and strengthen competitiveness in Australia.
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luan, CEO of Meet & More Coffee Co., Ltd., shared that through the CPTPP, their instant coffee products now enjoy a 0% tariff when exported to Australia — encouraging further investment in technology and product quality.
To enhance market presence, brand building has become a strategic focus. Mr. Luan emphasized that understanding Australian consumer behavior is crucial, along with targeting the Vietnamese diaspora, who serve both as loyal customers and as ambassadors introducing Vietnamese goods to local Australians.
Meet & More Coffee regularly participates in trade fairs, exhibitions, and Vietnamese markets across Australia to increase brand recognition and market share.
Meeting Australia’s Strict Import Standards
Australia is considered one of the world’s most demanding markets, with rigorous product quality, labeling, and biosecurity regulations — in some cases even stricter than those in the U.S. and EU.
Exporters must comply with requirements covering customs tariffs, labeling, food safety, quarantine, intellectual property, and packaging.
“To penetrate the Australian market, Vietnamese agricultural and seafood exporters must prioritize quality over price. Australian consumers also pay close attention to packaging, design, and brand image,” Mr. Hoa advised.
Meet & More Coffee, for example, identified Australia as a key export market in 2020 and has since focused on deep processing, brand positioning, and compliance with Australia’s import standards.
Mr. Luan added that large retailers in Australia require stringent food safety certifications and may also demand additional standards related to technology, animal welfare, and sustainability.
Paving the Way for New Product Categories
To support Vietnamese exporters, the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia is actively promoting new product trials. For instance:
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Fresh chicken from Vietnam: Although Australia has not yet approved imports, the Trade Office collaborated with importer M-Import and local supermarkets to introduce 15,000 processed Vietnamese silky chicken products for consumer testing in Western Australia and Queensland.
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Ca Mau crab: The office encourages Vietnamese producers to focus on quality processing and compliant packaging to meet Australian standards and establish a long-term brand presence.
“Mud crab in Australia is quite expensive and lacks the rich flavor and roe of Ca Mau crab,” Mr. Hoa explained. “If Vietnamese exporters can process and package the product to Australian standards, it will become a highly promising export.”
He also noted that agricultural and seafood prices in Australia are currently favorable, making early 2025 an ideal time for Vietnamese enterprises to ramp up exports.