AgrifoodV ·
The first SIAL Vietnam and Vietnam Foodexpo 2026 opened on 11 November 2026 at SECC in Ho Chi Minh City, just as Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry and fishery exports passed USD 63 billion for the first ten months of the year. AgrifoodV attended the opening day. For international buyers and growing areas, this year’s fair shows three things: certified Vietnamese supply now exists at scale, fruit, vegetables and seafood are driving growth, and packaging is the next test.
Key points
- The fair runs from 11 to 14 November 2026. Vietnam Foodexpo has more than 700 booths from about 500 companies; SIAL Vietnam has more than 200 brands from 17 countries and territories (Cong Thuong newspaper, VietnamPlus).
- In the first ten months of 2026, agricultural, forestry and fishery exports reached about USD 63.02 billion, up 8%; fruit and vegetables about USD 8.3 billion, up more than 17%; seafood about USD 10.4 billion, up nearly 12% (estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as reported by the press).
- More than 90% of Vietnamese exhibitors hold HACCP or ISO certification; about 100 exhibitors are Halal-certified (Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency).
- A side conference on 11 November covered sustainable packaging and the EU’s PPWR.
International buyers on site
According to the organisers, trade delegations registered from South Korea, Japan, Germany, the United States, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China and Malaysia, looking for long-term supply partners in Vietnam. Two bilateral business-matching conferences are part of the programme: Vietnam–China and Vietnam–Malaysia.
In the other direction, national pavilions come from more than 20 countries and territories. South Korea has nearly 80 companies and Japan nearly 40. These two markets also apply some of the strictest residue and plant-quarantine requirements to Vietnamese fruit and vegetables.
Which products are leading
| Product, Jan–Oct 2026 | Export value | Year on year |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishery, total | USD 63.02 billion | Up 8% |
| Fruit and vegetables | USD 8.32 billion | Up 17.8% |
| Seafood | USD 10.44 billion | Up 11.7% |
| Coffee | About USD 7.1 billion | Volume up 18.7%, value down about 5% |
Fruit and vegetables are the bright spot, but China accounts for about 64.8% of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export value. For growing areas, that dependence is a reason to use the fair to find buyers in a second market. For coffee, higher volume with lower value shows that origin and quality stories matter, a point the Vietnam Coffee–Cocoa Association also made when speaking about promoting growing regions at the fair.
Certification is in place; packaging comes next
According to the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, more than 90% of Vietnamese exhibitors meet HACCP or ISO standards, and more than 80% hold international certifications such as BRC, FSSC, Halal or EU Organic. About 100 exhibitors are Halal-certified, targeting a market the organisers estimate at about 2 billion consumers in 112 countries. These shares describe the exhibitors, not the whole industry.
On the afternoon of 11 November, the International Conference on Vietnam’s Food Industry 2026 discussed sustainable packaging and export compliance for the EU. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) starts to apply from August 2026, with the aim that all packaging on the EU market is recyclable by 2030.
In the packaging area, AgrifoodV looked at a carton for live oysters from Australia. The box states that it is 100% recyclable and prints storage instructions for the receiver on the inside of the lid. This is the level buyers in premium markets are used to seeing, and the level Vietnamese fresh produce and live seafood will be compared with.
Suggestions for growing areas and buyers
- Cooperatives and growing areas: bring your production unit code, the latest residue test results and monthly volumes. Buyers ask for these three before they ask for a price.
- Processing plants: ask buyers what packaging they will require over the next three years, not only for the current order.
- International buyers: the fair is open until 14 November; consider combining it with visits to growing areas in the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands on the same trip.
Sources
- Cong Thuong newspaper, “SIAL lần đầu đến Vietnam Foodexpo, mở rộng cơ hội giao thương”: congthuong.vn.
- VietnamPlus, “Vietnam Foodexpo 2026 quy tụ hơn 500 doanh nghiệp trong nước và quốc tế”: vietnamplus.vn.
- Mekong ASEAN, “Hàng trăm doanh nghiệp thực phẩm quốc tế quy tụ về Vietnam Foodexpo 2026”: mekongasean.vn.
- Cong Thuong newspaper, “Bao bì bền vững: Điều kiện mới để thực phẩm Việt vào thị trường EU”: congthuong.vn.
- Tin Tuc newspaper: baotintuc.vn; VnEconomy: vneconomy.vn.
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste: eur-lex.europa.eu.
Article by AgrifoodV, based on a visit to SECC on 11 November 2026 and the sources above (accessed 11 November 2026). Figures on the size of the fair were announced on opening day and are not final. Export figures are estimates; some sources give USD 8.27 billion and 17.2% for fruit and vegetables. Photos taken at the fair.
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