On the morning of July 5th, the Department of Industry and Trade of Dak Lak province collaborated with the Department of Asian and African Markets under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Department of Middle East and Africa Markets under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organize a seminar themed "Dissemination of Information and Prospects of the Halal Market, Approaches and Exploitation of the Halal Market in the Context of International Economic Integration.

Attendees at the seminar

At the seminar, over 100 businesses from Dak Lak province were represented by delegates from the Department of Asian and African Markets under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Department of Middle East and Africa Markets under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who introduced the potential to enhance economic cooperation between Vietnam and Halal market countries. An overview was provided on the cooperation between Vietnam and these markets, including aspects such as Islamic culture, the overall Halal industry landscape, and efforts to boost international cooperation for the development of Vietnam's Halal industry.

Ms. Nguyen Minh Phuong, Head of the West Asia - Africa Division, Ministry of Industry and Trade, shared considerations for conducting trade with the Halal market.

Alongside this, experts and businesses exchanged experiences and discussed challenges encountered when introducing products into the Halal market, necessary certification processes for obtaining Halal certification, and deliberated on commercial transaction considerations to devise suitable strategies concerning market and product quality to successfully access and export products from Dak Lak province to the Halal market in the near future.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Hang, Marketing Director of Halal Vietnam Certification Company, exchanged views at the seminar.

According to experts, the global Halal market currently holds significant potential considering the scale of the Muslim population, which amounts to about 2 billion people and continues to grow at an average rate of 1.5% per year. The Halal product consumption market is distributed worldwide, from Muslim countries to non-Muslim countries, and from developed to developing economies.

The Halal market comprises seven main sectors: food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fashion, tourism, media entertainment, and finance. For Vietnam, prospective Halal sectors that businesses can participate in include food, tourism, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Halal products are not only the choice of Muslim individuals in countries worldwide but also attract various other consumer groups due to meeting multiple criteria related to food safety, health assurance, eco-friendliness, ethical food processing, and environmental protection. With abundant and readily available raw materials, Dak Lak province has the capability and advantage to robustly develop within this large and promising market.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thai Binh, Deputy Head of the Middle East - Africa Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shared insights at the seminar.

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Van Nhiem, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Dak Lak province, stated: "Annually, the province's agriculture sector produces a large quantity of agricultural products such as coffee (about 550,000 tons), rubber (over 30,000 tons), pepper (about 80,000 tons), honey (over 15,000 tons), and cassava (700,000 tons). In 2023, the province's total export turnover reached USD 1.496 billion, with major export items being green coffee beans, instant coffee, pepper, cashews, rubber products, honey, and fruits and vegetables."

"Dak Lak province has seen many businesses take an interest in the process and obtain Halal certification, such as Dakman Vietnam Co., Ltd., An Thai Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, Ngon Coffee Co., Ltd., Gia Nguyen Dak Lak Trading Company Limited, Dak Lak Honey Co., Ltd., Trung Nguyen Coffee Corporation Limited, Khanh Duong Dak Lak Trading Co., Ltd., and My Viet International Group Joint Stock Company."

"Through the seminar, contributing to supporting the community of businesses and production trade organizations in Dak Lak province to grasp the latest information on markets in Muslim countries, the requirements for Halal certification for the food industry, helping businesses to understand clearly and take advantage of opportunities to expand their Halal product markets, seeking potential export partners to these markets, thereby enhancing economic cooperation and trade exchanges between Vietnam in general and Dak Lak province in particular with Halal market countries," Mr. Nguyen Van Nhiem discussed.