Vietnam

Information about the partnership

Partner country since 2008

Participants in the programme to date: 783 executives

Political partner for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action: Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Vietnam’s economy has seen strong growth and societal change in the last few decades. It now has the status of a middle income country and, with 98 million inhabitants and a young population, will continue to develop dynamically. Germany is Vietnam’s largest trading partner in the EU and is becoming an increasingly important partner for investment. Vietnam is one of Germany’s largest trading partners among the ASEAN countries. Vietnam’s most important exports to Germany are shoes, textiles, agricultural products (e.g. coffee and pepper), seafood, electronics and furniture. The most important imports from Germany are machinery, vehicles and chemical products. The free trade agreement between Vietnam and the EU, which entered into force on 1 August 2020, has led to the further enhancement of bilateral economic relations between Germany and Vietnam. ASEAN is the preferred region for German companies seeking to diversify their business, with Vietnam often being selected as the country of choice within ASEAN. However, Vietnam is also facing enormous challenges such as the decline of natural resources, the destruction of its environment, a skills gap and high energy consumption. In response, the Vietnamese government adopted its ‘Green Growth Strategy’ in 2021, which focuses on sustainable growth, vocational training, climate and energy, and the protection of the environment and forests.  It has set itself the goal to become climate neutral by 2050.

Partnering in Business with Germany is open to managers from all sectors. Participants from Vietnam work in a wide range of sectors such as energy, food production, logistics, chemicals, metal production, construction and the textile industry. Going forward, the programme will also cover green technologies, the circular economy and food processing/smart farming as a priority.

Vietnam’s alumni network (GVA) represents all former participants of the programme and works to foster cooperation with German businesses. It organises regular events for alumni, for example short trips to Germany to explore current business trends and new business opportunities.