Business Mixer in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, generated great interest from both Polish and Vietnamese participants. The event attracted several hundred people from both countries, representing 123 companies.

The Port of Gdańsk’s economic mission was held on 28–29 November 2024 in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), a major economic and industrial centre in the region and home to Vietnam’s main port.

This was the third edition of the event, designed to bring together businesses from different parts of the world. The previous Business Mixer events produced a lot of contracts. We have many reasons to believe that this year’s mission will be similar. Both sides are looking forward to a new lease of life in their business relations.

Forty-six Polish companies from various industries, including shipbuilding, food, logistics, construction, machinery, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics took advantage of the opportunity to present their range of products and establish successful contacts in the Vietnamese market, which has over 98 million consumers – potential buyers of Polish products. Vietnam was represented by 77 entrepreneurs.

‘Vietnam’s economy is growing at a very fast pace. This is a tangible incentive for us to work towards strengthening economic cooperation in the port and maritime sector, in international trade with Vietnam. Let me just remind you that Vietnam is a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an organisation of Asian countries with a strong economic potential. At present, Vietnam is the largest trading partner of Poland among all ASEAN countries. Note also that a free trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam was signed in 2019 and this is a good sign for strengthening economic relations with the country’, explains Dorota Pyć, CEO of the Port of Gdańsk.

We import more than we export

Business Mixer was divided into two parts. The first day featured a conference section and the second day consisted of B2B meetings and talks. The participants had the opportunity to listen to four panel discussions, with the establishment and strengthening of cooperation between Poland and Vietnam as their shared focus. The backdrop to the talks was provided by the keynote speeches. Tran Ngoc Liem, Director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ho Chi Minh City Branch (VCCI-HCM), was the first to hold the floor. He pointed out that the two countries would celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations the following year. Trade relations between Warsaw and Hanoi remain sound, with exchanges growing and exports from Vietnam to Poland increasing by 7 per cent in 2023. The entire exchange in 2024 stands at US$2.8 billion, but is unbalanced, with almost US$2.4 billion worth of exports from Vietnam to Poland. Electronics, seafood and plastic products dominate. Poland, in its turn, exports chemicals, medicines, cosmetics, food products and meat.

Joanna Skoczek, Chargée d’affaires ad interim of the Republic of Poland in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, highlighted the Polish government’s strong belief about Vietnam being the most promising Asian partner for Poland. She believes that it is essential not only to boost the volume of trade, but also to restructure and modernise it so that it is better adapted to modern realities. At the same time, she affirmed that the two maritime countries realise the importance of maintaining supply chains along with unobstructed, secure supply channels.

The Ministry of Infrastructure was represented by Paweł Krężel, Director of the Department of Maritime Affairs and Inland Navigation.

‘Vietnam is a rising market, one of the fastest growing in Asia and 36th in the world. Business Mixer represents a golden opportunity for Polish business to expand its presence in this market’, he persuaded.

Dorota Pyć, CEO of the Port of Gdańsk, also emphasised that the Port of Gdańsk, representing one of the most rapidly growing ports in the European Union and Europe as a whole, is open to the possibility of strengthening business relations between the two countries.

‘Today’s global economy is in need of strong partnerships, focused on sustainable development. The Port of Gdańsk is ready for this. We look forward to continuing to strengthen economic cooperation with Asian markets’, she asserted.

New connections mean new opportunities

During the panel discussions, the most hotly debated topic was the launch of new shipping routes between the Port of Gdańsk and the Vietnamese port of Vũng Tàu, scheduled for February 2025. These connections mark a new era in economic cooperation between our countries. Weekly MSC services: BRITANNIA (westbound) and ALBATROS (eastbound), along with additional weekly services operated by the GEMINI alliance, will significantly enhance the efficiency and scale of trade between Poland and Vietnam.

‘Vietnam does have a port development strategy, but it needs funds to expand its network. The government here is searching for partners and wishes to work with international maritime investors’, says Pham Quac Long, Chairman of VISABA, the Vietnam Ship Agents, Brokers, and Maritime Service Providers Association.

He adds that Gdańsk is perceived in Vietnam as a major educational centre in the maritime industry; many Vietnamese people working in the shipping sector studied in Gdańsk.

Dorota Pyć, CEO of the Port of Gdańsk, stresses that changes in trade with China mean that Southeast Asia is becoming more and more attractive to European countries. Eastern and Central Europe, in turn, is a fast-growing market thanks to containerisation. More trade means, among other things, more containers. Investing in infrastructure in Poland and Vietnam will make trade faster, cheaper and more secure.

Charles Baker, CEO of the Baltic Hub, which is the largest container terminal on the Baltic Sea, argued that Poland can serve as a hub for Vietnamese exporters not only to Central and Eastern Europe, but also to Scandinavian countries, which can be handled with feeders. The expansion of port capabilities is also driven by modern technology.

Vietnam has the potential to benefit from stronger trade relations with Poland. Poland provides strategic access to the EU market, reinforcing Vietnam’s global economic integration and export diversification. This promotes the country’s export-driven socio-economic growth strategy and increases its presence in competitive international markets.

‘We are positively surprised by so much interest in Business Mixer. It is a great initiative, an opportunity to share knowledge and information while building strong partnerships for a good, sustainable future’, concludes President Dorota Pyć.