2 September 2026 | Vietnam – Europe – Asia
Welcome to the Euro Connections Daily Business Brief — a concise selection of key developments, business opportunities and market signals affecting trade, sourcing, investment and market entry between Vietnam, Europe and Asia.
Our focus is not only on what is happening, but also on what it means in practice for companies operating across these markets.
1. Vietnam–EFTA Free Trade Agreement Opens Another European Trade Corridor
Vietnam and the four members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) — Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein — have concluded negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.
The agreement covers not only tariff reductions but also areas including rules of origin, trade in services, investment, intellectual property, sustainable development and support for SMEs.
Of particular importance for international supply chains, the rules of origin include provisions that may allow certain forms of cumulation involving materials originating in the EU and selected ASEAN countries.
Business Implication
For European companies, Vietnam is becoming increasingly attractive not only as an individual market but also as a manufacturing and sourcing platform connected to a growing network of preferential trade agreements.
The agreement is particularly relevant for Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein companies that do not directly benefit from the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.
A potential market-entry model is:
European company → Vietnam market assessment → supplier or partner search → rules-of-origin analysis → sourcing/investment decision → local execution
This creates another potential client segment for companies providing market-entry and sourcing support in Vietnam.
Source:
Vietnam Briefing – Vietnam–EFTA FTA: Trade, Investment and Market Access Implications
2. VIFA ASEAN 2026 Starts Today — Vietnam Strengthens Its Furniture Sourcing Position
Today, 2 September, VIFA ASEAN 2026 opens at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City.
The exhibition runs until 5 September and brings together Vietnamese and regional manufacturers across furniture, home decoration, handicrafts, materials, machinery and supporting services.
The event is designed to connect manufacturers directly with international buyers, importers, distributors, contractors and investors.
Business Implication
Furniture and home accessories provide another example of how Vietnam’s sourcing proposition is developing beyond price alone.
International buyers increasingly need to evaluate:
Design capability | Materials | Certification | Sustainability | Production capacity | Delivery reliability | OEM/private-label capability
For European importers, a structured sourcing process should therefore extend beyond finding factories online:
Product requirement → Supplier shortlist → Factory verification → Samples → Quotation → Negotiation → Quality control → Shipment
This creates opportunities for local sourcing and supplier-verification services.
Source:
Official VIFA ASEAN 2026 Website
3. International Buyers Arrive in Vietnam With Concrete Sourcing Requirements
Tomorrow, 3 September, Vietnam International Sourcing 2026 begins in Ho Chi Minh City.
The programme is designed around direct B2B matching between Vietnamese manufacturers and international importers, distributors, retailers and global purchasing organisations.
More than 500 international buyers are expected to participate, with sourcing demand covering sectors including:
Food | Seafood | Agriculture | Plastics | Textiles | Furniture | Consumer Goods | Logistics | Shipbuilding
Some buyers have already identified specific product requirements, demonstrating that this is not simply a general networking event but a platform for actual procurement.
Large international retailers are also increasing their interest in Vietnamese sourcing.
Business Implication
The most valuable sourcing lead does not begin with:
“Which companies can we sell something to?”
It begins with:
“What does the buyer already need?”
The process then becomes:
Identified Buyer → Specific Requirement → Vietnamese Supplier Search → Supplier Verification → Introduction → Quotation → Negotiation → Transaction
For European companies without their own sourcing team in Vietnam, having local representation can significantly improve this process.
Sources:
Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade – Vietnam International Sourcing 2026
Vietnam News – More Than 500 Global Buyers Set to Join Vietnam International Sourcing Expo 2026
4. Vietnam’s FDI Growth Is Changing the Market-Entry Model
Vietnam continues to attract substantial foreign investment, while the way international manufacturers enter the country is also evolving.
A growing number of investors are looking for solutions that allow them to begin operations faster rather than immediately developing large greenfield projects.
Ready-built factories and industrial facilities can reduce the time between an investment decision and actual production.
At the same time, companies selecting manufacturing locations increasingly analyse:
Power availability | Workforce | Logistics | ESG requirements | Infrastructure | Supplier ecosystem | Expansion capability | Speed to operation
Business Implication
Market entry into Vietnam does not necessarily have to begin with a major investment.
For many European SMEs, a lower-risk sequence may be:
Market Validation → Local Representation → Pilot Project → Local Operation → Production → Expansion
This approach allows a company to verify customers, suppliers and commercial assumptions before committing substantial capital.
For market-entry advisers, this creates opportunities around market validation, location comparison, partner search, supplier identification and local project coordination.
Source:
Vietnam Investment Review – Investment and Industrial Development in Vietnam
5. VinFast’s India Strategy Provides an Important Market-Entry Lesson
VinFast is adjusting elements of its manufacturing strategy in India as it evaluates local market demand and product positioning.
The broader lesson is relevant far beyond the automotive industry.
Even companies with substantial capital, manufacturing capability and international ambitions need to validate product–market fit before committing heavily to a new market.
Business Implication
A large market does not automatically mean a viable market opportunity for a particular product.
Before significant investment, companies should understand:
Who will buy?
Why will they buy?
What product specification do they require?
What price will the market accept?
Who are the competitors?
How does distribution work?
What needs to be adapted locally?
A safer market-entry process is:
Market Research → Customer Interviews → Competitor Verification → Distributor/Partner Meetings → Pilot Sales → Investment Decision
Only after these stages should a company consider substantial commitments such as a permanent organisation, warehouse or manufacturing facility.
Source:
Reuters – VinFast Puts the Brakes on Manufacturing Some Cars in India
EURO CONNECTIONS – BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY OF THE DAY
European Buyer Representation in Vietnam
One of the strongest opportunities this week is not a single product category.
It is representing foreign buyers locally in Vietnam.
Hundreds of international buyers are coming to Vietnam to identify manufacturers and products. But finding a potential supplier is only the beginning.
After the exhibition, important questions remain:
Who will visit the factory?
Who will verify the supplier?
Who will obtain and compare quotations?
Who will check documentation and certificates?
Who will negotiate locally?
Who will follow up after the buyer returns to Europe?
This creates a practical service model:
EURO CONNECTIONS — LOCAL BUYER REPRESENTATION
Buyer Requirement
↓
Supplier Search
↓
Factory Visit
↓
Supplier Verification
↓
Quotation Comparison
↓
Negotiation
↓
Sampling
↓
Pre-Shipment Coordination
↓
Long-Term Local Representation
This model can be particularly valuable for small and medium-sized European importers that need sourcing capabilities in Vietnam but cannot justify maintaining their own permanent office in Asia.
EURO CONNECTIONS PERSPECTIVE
Access to supplier information is becoming easier.
The real challenge is turning that information into a reliable international transaction.
For European companies sourcing from Vietnam, the value increasingly comes from:
Local Market Knowledge + Supplier Verification + Factory Access + Negotiation + Compliance + Follow-Up + Local Execution
The same principle applies to market entry.
Before making a major investment, companies should first validate the market, verify potential partners and test commercial assumptions locally.
ONE SENTENCE FOR TODAY
The biggest opportunity in sourcing is no longer access to supplier information — it is having reliable local execution that can turn a potential supplier into a working supply chain.
Euro Connections | Connecting Europe with Vietnam and ASEAN
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