Salmon sets Việt Nam-Chile trade swimming

Salmon sets Việt Nam-Chile trade swimming

Since ProChile opened its Việt Nam office in 2006, bilateral trade has climbed from US$100,000 to nearly $2 billion annually.

Vietnamese and Chilean businesses at the Chile–ASEAN Business Summit 2025 in Thailand. — VNA/VNS Photo

Chilean salmon, wine, fresh fruit and timber are reeling in Vietnamese consumers, helping lift two-way trade to nearly US$2 billion a year and paving the way for a new phase of cooperation between the two countries.

According to Nguyễn Thanh Quang, trade advisor of ProChile in Việt Nam, seafood – especially salmon – together with timber, copper and Chilean wine remain favourite products in the Vietnamese market. Fresh fruit such as grapes, apples and cherries has also made clear inroads. In the 2024–25 season alone, Chile shipped more than 3,000 tonnes of fruit to Việt Nam, up 133 per cent year-on-year.

“Both sides are negotiating to bring fresh kiwifruit and blueberries to Việt Nam soon, and are studying air-freight options for cherries to preserve optimal freshness,” he said.

Since ProChile opened its Việt Nam office in 2006, bilateral trade has climbed from US$100,000 to nearly $2 billion annually. Việt Nam exports about $1.4–1.5 billion to Chile – mainly seafood, coffee, rice and cement – while Chile ships roughly $500–600 million to Việt Nam, focused on salmon, wine, timber and fresh fruit.

The Việt Nam–Chile Free Trade Agreement (VCFTA) has been a key achievement, deepening market access for strategic products such as salmon and wine while raising the profile of Vietnamese goods in South America. A case in point: in July 2025, Vietnamese coffee made its debut at ExpoCafé in Santiago – Chile’s largest coffee fair – with robusta, arabica and speciality lines from the Central Highlands, drawing strong interest from Latin American importers.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade notes that Chile now has 35 free trade agreements with partners worldwide, covering about 80 per cent of global GDP. With a 2023 GDP of more than $429 billion and a central role in ASEAN, Việt Nam is becoming an increasingly important link in Chile’s diversification strategy. Chile–ASEAN trade grew by an average of 5.1 per cent a year during 2018–2024; Chile’s exports to the region reached $906 million in 2024.

Beyond merchandise trade, recent business matchmaking, cultural exchanges and food promotions suggest that Việt Nam–Chile ties are evolving into a 'long bridge' from the Andes to Indochina, laying a foundation for sustainable growth for companies in both countries. 

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