Betrimex secures coconut partnership with Jiangnan Market group

Betrimex (Ben Tre Import Export Joint Stock Company) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Jiangnan Market Imported Fruit Chamber of Commerce to establish a strategic partnership for exporting fresh coconuts from Vietnam to the Chinese market.

The signing ceremony, held during a trade promotion event at the Guangzhou International Fruit & Vegetable Expo, was witnessed by representatives from the Vietnamese Consulate in Guangzhou, the Vietnam Coconut Association, and key members of the Jiangnan Market Imported Fruit Chamber of Commerce.

The move by Betrimex comes just over a month after the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China signed three protocols on agricultural product exports, including fresh coconuts, to China.

Under this strategic partnership, Betrimex will be the Chamber’s strategic partner for supplying fresh coconuts to the Guangzhou market. Both parties committed to close cooperation to ensure a stable supply and high-quality products that meet export standards.

They will also collaborate on trade promotion, marketing, and communication activities to enhance brand recognition and expand market share for Vietnamese fresh coconuts, not only in Guangzhou but throughout China.

Tran Que Trang, chief executive of Betrimex, said exporting fresh coconuts to China was part of the company’s long-term strategy.

“We have been proactively preparing since the protocol was in the negotiation stage, from developing international-standard plantations to researching and ensuring compliance with the stringent export standards of this massive market. Betrimex, in coordination with the Vietnam Coconut Association, has also been diligently promoting and seeking potential partners for over a year,” she said.

“With our years of experience in the Chinese market and the strong support from the Jiangnan Market Imported Fruit Chamber of Commerce, we are confident that Vietnamese fresh coconuts will open doors to deeper penetration into this vast market, gradually realizing the goal of bringing national agricultural products to the global stage.”

Cao Ba Dang Khoa, general secretary of the Vietnam Coconut Association, said once the protocol was issued the Association immediately began working tirelessly to connect Vietnamese businesses with Chinese partners.

According to the Association, the signing of the protocol could see fresh coconut export turnover reach US$250m this year, accounting for 25 pwe cent of the total coconut industry’s export turnover.

Khoa also noted that China is a key global market for coconuts and receives more than 60 per cent of Thailand’s coconut production. He said the emergence of Vietnamese fresh coconuts will create exciting competition, requiring businesses to pay special attention to product quality to gain customer trust.

“Only then can we turn these MoUs into real value, bringing long-term benefits to the Vietnamese coconut industry,” he emphasised.

Betrimex and the Vietnam Coconut Association also signed an MoU to establish an information exchange centre with the Hainan Coconut Industry Association (China) in Vietnam. This centre will serve as a bridge for exchanging information on markets, products, and supply sources for coconut products, to promote trade and increase export turnover between the two sides.