Promoting Vietnamese coffee in the Canadian market

Dak Lak's specialty coffee has been present in markets in Europe, Japan, the United States, Canada and China. (Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA) — Dak Lak 's specialty coffee has been present in markets in Europe, Japan, the United States, Canada and China. (Photo: Tuan Anh/VNA)

With the goal of expanding export markets beyond traditional areas, the Vietnam Coffee-Cocoa Association has coordinated with the Vietnam Trade Office in Canada and the Canadian Coffee Association to organize the Vietnam Coffee Day in Toronto to promote products in this North American market.

The event attracted 18 large coffee exporting enterprises, accounting for more than 50% of Vietnam's total coffee export volume, along with representatives of the Canadian coffee industry and many overseas Vietnamese businesses in Canada, who always want to bring quality Vietnamese coffee products to local consumers.

Sharing with VNA reporters in Canada, Trade Counselor of the Vietnamese Embassy Tran Thu Quynh said that the Trade Office in Canada has made efforts to coordinate with the Vietnam Coffee-Cocoa Association over the past years to organize Vietnam Coffee Day here to enhance the recognition not only of Canadian coffee importing businesses but also of businesses that can reach end coffee users in Canada.

According to Ms. Tran Thu Quynh, these are the owners of franchised restaurant chains or Vietnamese coffee shops or eateries, places that can help Vietnamese coffee enter the Canadian market, as well as to raise awareness among Canadian consumers of Vietnamese coffee products.

Canada is a potential market as Vietnam's coffee exports have increased 300% from 10 million USD to nearly 40 million USD after the two sides joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

However, Vietnam's market share is still very modest, accounting for less than 2% and not commensurate with the position of the Vietnamese coffee industry on the world map.

Up to now, Vietnam has only exported 8 thousand tons to this market, with a value of nearly 40 million USD, while the total export volume has reached 1.2 million tons.

Chairman of the Vietnam Coffee-Cocoa Association Nguyen Nam Hai shared with reporters that this event is very useful for promoting Vietnamese coffee products to the world market in general and the Canadian market in particular.

Mr. Nguyen Nam Hai said that in recent years, with the European market and the European Union (EU) market, Vietnam has had a very high export rate. However, for the North American market and especially the Canadian market, Vietnam's coffee exports to this market are still very low compared to the development needs of the two countries.

According to the President of the Canadian Coffee Association, Robert Carter, Canada is one of the largest coffee consuming countries in the world because Canadians love coffee. This is a great opportunity for coffee exporting countries to open the door to this market.

Vietnam is currently Canada's 11th trading partner for coffee outside of South America, so Canada is looking to expand relations with Vietnam to create mutual trade opportunities.

He affirmed that the event will contribute to promoting Vietnamese coffee to the Canadian market and creating awareness about Vietnamese coffee.

In the context of many changes in trade, especially after the appearance of tariffs, Canada is gradually reducing imports from its major partner, the US, and this will be an opportunity for Vietnamese coffee products.

Vietnam's current export products to Canada are still mainly raw coffee, so it is necessary to have deeply processed products or create supply chains to have the potential to increase export value when Vietnam already has strengths in free trade agreements with Canada such as CPTPP.

Adam Pesce, a member of the Canadian Coffee Association, said the biggest challenge is building a brand. Therefore, it is necessary to find a brand that can resonate with Canadian customers so that Vietnamese coffee can gain a foothold in the market.

According to him, in Canada there are many different coffee chains and most of the coffee they sell is a blend, but often with some seasonal characteristics and related to the origin of that coffee.

There are smaller brands than Starbucks, such as Second Cup, Good Earth Coffee or Balzac that Vietnam can cooperate with to help its products gradually affirm their names before forming their own brands.

This Vietnam Coffee Day event has become an opportunity for representatives of the coffee industry of both sides to better understand the needs and actual situation and thereby find new directions of cooperation not only to increase export revenue, but also to support Vietnamese coffee businesses to better understand the opportunities to access distribution channels in the local market to enter North America./.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/quang-ba-ca-phe-viet-nam-tai-thi-truong-canada-391945.html