With the goal of strengthening cooperation with German states and supporting the presence of Vietnamese businesses in economically strong regions, on July 17, 2025, the Vietnam Trade Office in Germany participated in the Bavaria Asia-Pacific Forum 2025 held in Nuremberg. At the event, the Trade Office organized an exhibition booth showcasing Vietnamese products ranging from agricultural goods and coffee to industrial products such as Tien Phong Plastics, Vietglove rubber gloves, and NTQ’s IT solutions.
Bavaria – Germany’s Economic Powerhouse
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Bavaria is Germany’s largest state by area, second in population, and second in economic output among the country’s 16 states. The state is home to Germany’s world-renowned automotive industry, hosting the headquarters of Audi, BMW, and MAN, along with branches of around 1,100 leading companies across various sectors of the value chain — including suppliers such as Bosch, Brose, The Dräxlmaier Group, Rexroth, Schaeffler, and Webasto. Bavaria also boasts a thriving food industry, contributing 20% of Germany’s total food industry revenue.
The 16th Bavaria Asia-Pacific Forum
Held biennially in Nuremberg, the 16th Bavaria Asia-Pacific Forum attracted approximately 300 participants and hundreds of business networking and consulting sessions with German Chambers of Commerce and Industry representatives in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Japan, and Hong Kong.
This year’s main theme was:
“The Global Economy in Transition – New Perspectives on Economy, Technology, and Investment.”
The Vietnam Trade Office, in collaboration with the IHK Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hosted an information booth and consultation desk to provide German enterprises — including Bioworks (wastewater technology), Global Logistics, Rödl & Partner, Schaeffler AG (automotive & mechanical engineering), Krone AG (agricultural machinery), and Memmert GmbH — with insights about the Vietnamese market.
Through these interactions, the Trade Office had productive exchanges with German businesses and industry associations, delivering detailed information about Vietnam’s market potential, key export products, and priority cooperation sectors such as energy, information technology, and vocational training between Vietnam, Germany, and the wider European market.
Strengthening Institutional Ties
Within the forum framework, the Vietnam Trade Office also held working sessions with the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy, as well as leading associations and chambers such as DIHK, IHK Munich, the German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), and the Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI)agency.
ASEAN–EU Partnership
The ASEAN region remains a vital trade partner of the European Union. The ten ASEAN member states — Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines — rank third among the EU’s international trading partners, after China and the United States. Conversely, the EU is ASEAN’s third-largest trading partner, highlighting the growing importance of interregional cooperation and investment opportunities.