Opportunity to expand cooperation with Canada

Cooperation opportunities

Vietnam and Canada are both members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Through commitments on tariff reduction, market opening and procedural reform, many key export sectors of both sides have more opportunities to access partner markets, contributing to promoting import-export growth in a substantial and sustainable manner.

In recent years, trade relations between Vietnam and Canada have been continuously expanded in both scale and depth. Vietnam is currently Canada's 7th largest trading partner and ranks first among ASEAN countries, accounting for nearly 45% of Canada's total import turnover from the region. In 2024, bilateral trade turnover will reach about 7.2 billion USD, of which Vietnam will export more than 6.3 billion USD to Canada and import nearly 0.8 billion USD from Canada. Vietnam's main export items include textiles, footwear, wood and wood products, seafood, coffee, electronic components, machinery and equipment, etc. In contrast, Canada is a reliable source of high-tech agricultural products, processed foods, fertilizers and industrial raw materials.

In Can Tho City, there are 2 FDI projects with investment capital from Canada, with a total registered investment capital of about 1,230,769 USD; 1 project from ODA capital is 4,267,289 CAD; 1 project from NGO capital is 896,667 CAD. In the first 6 months of 2025, the export turnover of goods to Canada was 27.01 million USD, the main export items were aquatic products, agricultural products and processed agricultural products, garments, steel and some other items (paper, ...); the import turnover was 0.68 million USD, the main import item was paper.

Mr. Vuong Quoc Nam (2nd from right), Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee, discussed with Ms. Francesca Bellone (3rd from right) with UNDP and Oxfam during a working session in Can Tho City.

Ms. Francesca Bellone, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Canada in Vietnam, commented that Can Tho is a special city with diverse ethnic cultures and a lot of economic development potential and believes that the city will be a model of modern economic development in the future.

In parallel with economic development cooperation, through organizations, the Canadian Government also has financial and professional support programs for livelihood projects in many countries, including Vietnam, to increase income and improve the lives of communities. In Can Tho City, through organizations, Canada implements 4 projects including: the Vietnam Climate Smart Coastal Communities project (VCSCC); the Technical Assistance project towards building capacity to implement plans to mitigate the impacts of climate change and mobilize sustainable financial resources to protect and develop forests, including high-quality forest carbon markets (C4G); the Green Rice Industry project: Gender-equitable and low-carbon rice value chains in Vietnam (GORice); the Enhancing Access to Vocational Training and Skills for Ethnic Minority and Disadvantaged Women (SIATS) project.

Towards sustainable development

Projects implemented in Can Tho City with the goal of aiming at sustainable development. Specifically, the VCSCC Project is a project implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Environment in collaboration with the Government of Canada through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and approved by the People's Committee of Soc Trang province (old) in Decision No. 3154/QD-UBND dated December 10, 2024. The expected results of the project are to improve the performance of the government and coastal communities in Vietnam, especially women, in applying gender-responsive climate change information and risk-based planning to adapt to climate change; improve the performance and leadership capacity of Women-led Organizations and women in initiating nature-based solutions for sustainable marine economic development and livelihoods; improve the performance of governments and nature-dependent communities, especially Women-Led Organizations (WLOs), and restore marine and coastal ecosystems to conserve biodiversity and respond to climate change in coastal areas.

The C4G project is implemented through the CARE organization and was issued by the City People's Committee under Decision No. 965/QD-UBND dated August 25, 2025. The project implementation period is expected to be from 2025 to 2028. The project aims to enhance the capacity of local authorities, communities and businesses in implementing national priorities on adaptation and mitigation of climate change impacts, through forest protection and development, with sufficient capacity to participate in the carbon market when permitted by the Government.

Through Oxfam, Canada is funding the GORice project, which is preparing project documents to submit to the Can Tho City People's Committee for approval. The expected implementation period is from 2025-2030. GORice aims to contribute to the 1 million hectare low-emission high-quality rice project in the Mekong Delta. Expected outcomes include increased rice production and trading according to low-emission climate-smart agricultural practices and access to carbon markets. Strengthening leadership capacity and decision-making power of women and ethnic minorities participating in smart agriculture. Strengthening cooperation between national and provincial stakeholders, and developing overarching policy frameworks for CSRP and preparing for future carbon project development.

Regarding the SIATS project, the City Women's Union had a meeting with Oxfam and was approved by the City People's Committee to continue implementing the project. The general goal of the project is to improve access to vocational education for ethnic minority women and women in difficult circumstances in Vietnam, thereby improving their employment opportunities in green economic sectors and sustainable development. Oxfam is also preparing documents to submit to the Can Tho City People's Committee for approval. The expected project implementation period is 2025-2029.

Mr. Vuong Quoc Nam, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee, said that Can Tho City is entering a new development phase when it officially completes the arrangement of administrative units. The merger of 3 localities (Can Tho City, Soc Trang Province and Hau Giang Province) not only expands the population size and development space but also combines economic potential, resources and strategic location. The new Can Tho City is qualified and ready to welcome domestic and foreign investors to cooperate in various fields. The city is committed to closely coordinating with partners to effectively implement projects, contributing to promoting green agriculture, gender equality, sustainable livelihoods and enhancing the ability to adapt to climate change in the Mekong Delta.

Article and photos: KHÁNH NAM

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/co-hoi-mo-rong-hop-tac-voi-canada-a190959.html