British Trade Envoy: Dedicate 5 billion pound credit package to Vietnam

During his first visit to Vietnam, British Government Trade Envoy Matt Western emphasized that the UK is paying special attention to investment opportunities in Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City.

The British delegation attended the Forum on Enhancing Trade and Investment Cooperation between Vietnam and the UK, organized by Standard Chartered Bank and UK Export Finance in Ho Chi Minh City on September 24 - Photo: BTC

British Government Trade Envoy Matt Western recently had a long-term visit and working session in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam, with many exchanges and working sessions with the city's government and businesses.

Prioritize clean energy investment

Mr. Western said he highly appreciated Vietnam's economic roadmap for 2025, with GDP growth in the second quarter of 2025 increasing by 7.96% over the same period last year, along with the recent administrative reform across the country and the merger that turned Ho Chi Minh City into a megacity with 14 million people.

“These are landmark reforms, demonstrating the flexibility and aspiration of the Vietnamese Government,” said Mr. Western.

He is very interested in Ho Chi Minh City establishing the International Financial Center (IFC), emphasizing that attracting international capital flows through IFC will create a huge boost for economic growth, in line with Vietnam's growth target.

Mr. Western noted that Vietnam will need to invest in and support investment in transport infrastructure projects, such as metro, high-speed railway, seaports, airports, etc. to achieve growth targets, in addition to paying attention to energy transition processes, education and health.

“IFC will play a key role in providing a strong financial platform to support these sectors,” said Mr. Western.

With the participation of a representative of the UK Export Finance Agency (UKEF) in the delegation, Mr. Western affirmed that with a minimum credit limit of 5 billion pounds (more than 6.67 billion USD) for Vietnam, UKEF is ready to finance large projects.

"As long as it's projects about clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, or digital transformation, the UK is ready to invest," said Mr. Western.

Mr. Matt Western, British Government Trade Envoy to Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos - Photo: BRITISH CONSULATE GENERAL

Expect Vietnamese coffee on UK supermarket shelves

In terms of trade, the UK considers Vietnam to be one of its most dynamic and potential trade partners in Southeast Asia.

With the effective operation of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), bilateral trade between Vietnam and the UK has tripled over the past decade, currently reaching £9 billion (more than 12 billion USD).

Vietnam's main exports to the UK include electronics, textiles, and agricultural products, with a presence on the shelves of major British retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Tesco.

Mr. Western believes that Vietnamese businesses still have a lot of room to export goods to the UK, especially in the fields of high-tech manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, etc.

The British Government representative added that he personally wants to see more Vietnamese coffee and culinary products on supermarket shelves in the UK, as more and more British tourists visit Vietnam and will have a need to find these items when they return home.

"Look for distribution partners in the UK, you can connect through events or online meetings. I believe there will be many partners willing to cooperate with Vietnamese small and medium enterprises," Mr. Western advised.

NGHI VU

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dac-phai-vien-thuong-mai-anh-danh-goi-tin-dung-5-ti-bang-cho-viet-nam-20250926133128011.htm