Vietnam recently showcased its certified halal products at the Melaka Halal Festival 2024 in Malaysia, a move to expand its presence in the global halal market.

Prof. Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi from the Kuala Lumpur-based University of Malaya has described economic cooperation as the main pillar of the relationship between Vietnam and Malaysia.

Vietnam holds significant potential to export Halal food products, ranking among the world’s top 20 and top 15 exporters of food and farm produce, respectively, heard a November 14 conference on promoting the country’s Halal trade.

The 20th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2024 opened at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur on September 17.

National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh had a meeting with Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof on August 7 in his working visit to the Southeast Asian country from August 6-9.

The market for Muslims in Malaysia in particular and the Halal market in general has a lot of development potential, offering a good opportunity for Vietnamese exporters, heard a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on May 31.

Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin on February 28 said that Indonesia is promoting the imports of halal-certified beef and lamb from New Zealand to meet its demand and increase trade turnover between the two countries.

Vietnam is implementing various programmes on Halal food and will create excellent conditions for Saudi Arabian firms to invest in the development of deep processing of farm produce in Vietnam.

Only a handful of Vietnamese enterprises have taken advantage of expanding the Halal industry in general and increasing demand for Halal food in particular to boost exports, heard at a workshop held on July 13 in Ho Chi Minh City.

The dynamism and experience of a producing country will be advantages for Vietnamese businesses when joining the global halal market, to which Singapore is the nearest gateway, said Vietnamese Trade Counsellor to the city state Cao Xuan Thang.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will pay an official visit to Thailand on February 9-10 to promote trade cooperation between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in co-ordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a forum on November 30 to highlight the potential of the global Halal food market and the opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to gain entry into the lucrative market.

The Sheikhul Islam Office of Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have launched a "Meet the Ambassador Lunch Talk" to share ideas and promote cooperation in religious and economic matters between Thailand and foreign envoys.

Halal food is a promising export product for Vietnamese companies to pursue though they may face challenges.

With nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide and demand for Halal products being worth around 2.3 trillion USD annually, there is potentially a huge market for Vietnamese firms to exploit, experts have said.

The 14th meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Halal Food (AWGHF) is taking place at the Al Meroz Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, from July 10 to 12.

Many Vietnamese firms are set to participate in the 2018 Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) in Malaysia to exchange information and seek business opportunities, a meeting heard in Ho Chi Minh City on April 16.

Four Vietnamese firms are attending the 15th Malaysia International Halal Showcase 2018 underway in Kuala Lumpur from April 4-7.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) on September 25 held a roadshow in Jakarta, aiming to introduce Vietnamese tourism products to Indonesians.