Vietnam's National Trade Promotion Program has demonstrated a significant contribution to boosting the competitiveness of domestic products on the international stage. Through a state budget allocation reaching more than 650 billion VND, this initiative has facilitated tens of thousands of businesses and cooperatives to reach new markets, both domestically and abroad.
An impressive record is seen in transaction realisations reaching hundreds of millions of US dollars through various fairs and exhibitions. In 2025 alone, the government initiated more than 100 strategic projects, which proved to help business actors conduct market testing and strengthen the distribution system for local products, including processed agricultural products and regional key commodities.
However, behind these impressive figures lies a paradox in ground-level implementation. Many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) remain indifferent to available distribution channels and incentives. Surveys indicate low awareness among business owners regarding support programs, such as digital platforms and public-private partnership schemes, driven by the perception that trade promotion is solely the domain of large corporations.
Beyond literacy issues, technical regulatory hurdles also pose obstacles. Unclear definitions regarding product distribution chains and a lack of operational guidelines in the SME Support Law make tax incentives and land lease schemes difficult to access optimally. Many current policies are considered short-term and fail to provide substantive support for the sustainability of SME product quality.
In response to these challenges, the Ministry of Finance proposed the need for policy decoupling in the draft amendment to the SME Support Law. The government aims to design a specialized scheme focusing directly on market expansion, ensuring business actors do not merely survive, but sustainably enhance their business capacity within the global supply chain.
