Belgian start-up brings Vietnamese coconut water to EU consumers
Canned pure fresh coconut water Cocoxim of Ben Tre Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Betrimex) has become popular among consumers in Belgium for several years. This product is imported directly from Vietnam by the Belgian start-up company South Export Alliance and distributed in Belgium, France and the Czech Republic.
Canned pure fresh coconut water Cocoxim (Photo: Betrimex)
Brussels (VNA) - Canned pure fresh coconut water Cocoxim of Ben TreImport-Export Joint Stock Company (Betrimex) has become popular among consumersin Belgium for several years. This product is imported directly from Vietnam bythe Belgian start-up company South Export Alliance and distributed in Belgium,France and the Czech Republic.
François Colonval, manager of South Export Alliance, saidthat he founded the company in 2016 with a hope to introduce Vietnam’s freshcoconut water to Belgium consumers.
South Export Alliance now becomes the exclusivedistributor of Cocoxim coconut water for all Asian restaurants and somesupermarkets in Belgium, and also exports this kind of product to France andthe Czech Republic. Every few months, the company imports from Betrimex acontainer weighing 25 tonnes of products.
Since the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement(EVFTA) officially took effect with preferential tariffs offered for Vietnameseagricultural products imported into the European market, South Export Alliance has conditions to expand business opportunities in importing goodsfrom Vietnam. Along with coconut water, François has also imported otherproducts such as rice paper and dried vermicelli.
He sees many advantages when looking for partners in Vietnamto import goods with incentives from the EVFTA. Currently, François is working withlarge Belgian customers to import other Vietnamese food and beverage productssuch as Hanoi beer and Saigon beer because he wants Belgian customers to enjoy thetaste of Vietnamese beer even though Belgium is the kingdom of beer./.
Vietnam harvests 1.3 to 1.4 billion coconuts each year but by-products have posed a major challenge to the environment. A Belgium-based tech giant has therefore planned to help the country in turning the coconut coir into charcoal for export.
Export turnover of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre reached more than 656 million USD in the first half of 2021, up 14.11 percent from the same period last year.
The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre aims for an export value of 10 billion USD for 2021 – 2025, according to Vice Chairman of the provincial People Committee Nguyen Minh Canh.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways was born as a perfect piece in Sun Group’s strategic vision to build a premium ecosystem of tourism, entertainment, real estate, and aviation. With a pioneering ambition, Sun PhuQuoc Airways is not just an airline, but a symbol of connection – bringing the world to Phu Quoc and taking Phu Quoc to the world.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
According to NordCham Vietnam Chairman Thue Quist Thomasen, the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to green and sustainable growth.
Canned pure fresh coconut water Cocoxim (Photo: Betrimex) 
