Vietnam and Singapore Enhance Cooperation on Food Trade and Market Access
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On February 17, 2025, the Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore held a working session with the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to promote the opening of Singapore’s market for Vietnamese pork, chicken meat, and poultry eggs.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by H.E. Tran Phuoc Anh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Singapore, accompanied by Mr. Cao Xuan Thang, Trade Counselor of Vietnam in Singapore.
Representing Singapore were Mr. Damian Chan, Director-General of SFA; Dr. Abdul Jalil, Assistant Director-General; and Mr. Kevin Khng, Senior Director for International Cooperation.
Singapore’s Growing Demand for Imported Food
Currently, Singapore produces only about 10% of its total food consumption needs, with 90% dependent on imports. Ensuring food security is therefore one of Singapore’s top national strategies.
Each year, Singapore imports approximately:
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SGD 1.2 billion in seafood, of which Vietnam supplies about 9.7%;
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SGD 460 million in rice, with Vietnam accounting for 28.25%;
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Over SGD 1.28 billion in various meats.
However, fresh pork, chicken meat, and poultry eggs from Vietnam have not yet been officially approved for export to the Singaporean market.
Vietnam’s Commitment to Supporting Singapore’s Food Security
Ambassador Tran Phuoc Anh emphasized that economic relations between Vietnam and Singapore continue to flourish, with Singapore being Vietnam’s second-largest investor. Both countries are key ASEAN partners and trade extensively with each other.
He noted that Vietnam produces high-quality, competitively priced agricultural products, including fruits, poultry meat, and eggs, and stands ready to support Singapore in strengthening its food security.
Vietnam hopes that the SFA and relevant Singaporean authorities will soon complete their assessments of Vietnamese enterprises and farms, paving the way for official export of Vietnamese poultry products to Singapore.
SFA Recognizes Vietnam’s Poultry Industry Potential
Mr. Damian Chan, Director-General of SFA, thanked the Vietnam Trade Office for facilitating SFA’s inspection missions to Vietnam in 2024.
He expressed strong appreciation for the scale, technology, and modern equipment used in Vietnam’s poultry production and processing facilities, such as QL, CP, MeatDeli, Ba Huan, and San Ha.
SFA acknowledged that thermally processed chicken products from Vietnam could soon qualify for official import approval and hoped that eggs and other meats would also meet Singapore’s food safety standards in the near future.
Mr. Chan further encouraged closer technical collaboration between SFA and Vietnam’s regulatory agencies, expecting the evaluation process to conclude by late February 2025 with positive outcomes.
Technical Evaluation and Future Cooperation
Dr. Abdul Jalil, Assistant Director-General of SFA, shared that online assessments of several Vietnamese poultry plants would take place by the end of February 2025 to complete the required evaluation process.
Ambassador Tran Phuoc Anh reaffirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore stands ready to facilitate trade and cooperation, and that the Vietnam Trade Office will act as the main contact point for any SFA coordination needs.
Both sides agreed to continue exchanging updates on relevant regulations to ensure that businesses from both countries can promptly adapt to new market requirements.
Strengthening ASEAN Food Supply Integration
The meeting demonstrated the shared commitment of Vietnam and Singapore to deepening ASEAN food cooperation, improving supply chain resilience, and enhancing mutual food security through transparent regulatory processes and closer trade ties.