3 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 and investment 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 International Sourcing 2026 Opens Today — More Than 500 Global Buyers Target Vietnamese Suppliers
Today, 3 September 2026, Vietnam International Sourcing 2026 (VIS 2026) opens at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City.
The event runs until 5 September and is one of Vietnam’s most important international trade-promotion and sourcing events.
More than 500 international buyers are expected to participate, connected through Vietnam’s overseas trade-office network.
Importers, distributors and purchasing organisations are looking for Vietnamese suppliers across sectors including:
Food | Seafood | Agriculture | Plastics | Textiles | Furniture | Consumer Goods | Logistics | Shipbuilding
Some sourcing requirements are already highly specific.
For example, Swedish company Lagerqvist AB is seeking Vietnamese suppliers of plastic materials and additives, particularly CaCO3 filler masterbatch, as well as partners supplying packaged, frozen and processed meat.
International retailers and purchasing groups are also participating in sourcing activities, demonstrating the increasing importance of Vietnam as a global procurement base.
Business Implication
This is exactly where international sourcing becomes a practical business opportunity.
The key is not simply identifying hundreds of Vietnamese manufacturers.
The process should begin with a specific buyer requirement:
Buyer Requirement → Product Specification → Vietnamese Supplier Search → Supplier Verification → Factory Visit → Samples → Commercial Negotiation → Order
For European SMEs without their own sourcing office in Asia, local execution can become the critical link between identifying a potential factory and establishing a reliable supply chain.
Sources:
VietnamPlus – More Than 500 Global Buyers Set to Join Vietnam International Sourcing Expo 2026
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/over-500-global-buyers-set-to-join-vietnam-international-sourcing-expo-2026-post350528.vnp
Vietnam International Sourcing – Official Website
https://vietnamsourcingexpo.vn/en/
2. European Companies Are Being Reminded That Finding a Vietnamese Factory Is Only the First Step
On the same day that VIS 2026 opens, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV) is addressing another important aspect of sourcing from Vietnam.
Its 3 September webinar, “Vietnam Sourcing 101: From First Contact to Long-Term Supplier Partnership,” focuses on the practical problems foreign companies encounter when working with Vietnamese manufacturers.
These include:
Communication gaps | Unclear expectations | Supplier qualification | Quality issues | Production management | Relationship development
The programme also examines the transition from a simple China+1 strategy toward a broader China+X sourcing model, with Vietnam forming part of diversified Asian supply chains.
Business Implication
This reinforces an important principle for European importers:
Finding a supplier is not the same as building a supply chain.
Online databases, exhibitions and B2B platforms make identifying factories increasingly easy.
The more difficult work begins afterwards:
Who verifies the factory?
Who checks production capability?
Who confirms certificates and documentation?
Who communicates when specifications are misunderstood?
Who follows production locally?
Who solves problems when the European buyer is thousands of kilometres away?
This creates a strong role for professional local sourcing representation and supplier-management services in Vietnam.
Source:
CCI France Vietnam – Vietnam Sourcing 101: From First Contact to Long-Term Supplier Partnership
https://www.ccifv.org/en/events/upcoming/event-details/event/vietnam-sourcing-101-du-premier-contact-a-un-partenariat-fournisseur-durable.html
3. Global Retailers Are Looking Directly at Vietnam for New Supply Sources
VIS 2026 is attracting not only specialised importers but also major international retail organisations.
China’s Pagoda and India’s Reliance Retail have been identified among major retailers seeking sourcing opportunities in Vietnam.
Pagoda operates a network of more than 6,000 stores across approximately 180 Chinese cities and sees significant potential in Vietnam’s agricultural supply base, particularly its tropical fruit production.
Large US purchasing organisations and importers are also evaluating Vietnamese manufacturers and products.
This demonstrates an important structural development:
Vietnam is increasingly becoming a market where international buyers come directly to identify and develop suppliers, rather than relying exclusively on intermediaries in other Asian sourcing hubs.
Business Implication
For Vietnamese producers, being able to manufacture a good product is no longer sufficient.
To work with major international buyers, suppliers increasingly need:
Consistent quality
Competitive pricing
Production capacity
Traceability
Certifications
Professional documentation
Reliable communication
Export experience
On-time delivery
For foreign buyers, meanwhile, the challenge is identifying which suppliers genuinely meet these requirements.
This creates opportunities for supplier pre-qualification, factory verification and local commercial representation.
Source:
VnEconomy – Chinese and Indian Retail Giants to Visit Vietnam in Search of Suppliers
https://en.vneconomy.vn/chinese-and-indian-retail-giants-to-visit-vietnam-in-search-of-suppliers.htm
4. Vietnam’s Export Growth Is Creating New Logistics and Compliance Pressure
Vietnam’s strong integration into international supply chains is creating opportunities but also placing increasing pressure on the country’s logistics infrastructure.
Global supply chains are changing rapidly due to geopolitical tensions, environmental requirements, digitalisation and demands for greater transparency.
International buyers are increasingly evaluating not only the price of the product but the entire supply chain.
Important factors now include:
Transportation cost | Delivery time | Supply-chain visibility | Resilience | Carbon emissions | Traceability | Documentation
For Vietnamese exporters, logistics is therefore becoming part of international competitiveness rather than simply an operational cost.
Business Implication
European companies sourcing from Vietnam should evaluate the total landed cost, not simply the supplier’s FOB price.
A supplier offering the lowest factory price may not necessarily provide the most competitive final solution if there are problems involving:
Logistics + Quality + Documentation + Lead Time + Compliance + Reliability
Supplier selection should therefore combine commercial and operational due diligence.
For Euro Connections clients, this supports a broader sourcing methodology:
Supplier Search → Commercial Comparison → Verification → Logistics Analysis → Compliance Check → Total Landed Cost → Final Supplier Selection
Source:
VnEconomy – Logistics Facing New Pressures from Global Supply Chains
https://en.vneconomy.vn/logistics-facing-new-pressures-from-global-supply-chains.htm
5. EU Sustainability Requirements Are Changing the Rules for Vietnamese Exporters
European market access is increasingly determined not only by product quality and price but by compliance across the entire supply chain.
Vietnamese exporters targeting Europe face increasingly demanding requirements involving areas such as:
Product traceability | Environmental standards | Packaging | Emissions | Responsible sourcing | Supply-chain documentation
This means that the commercial advantage created by the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) cannot be evaluated only through tariff reductions.
European importers increasingly need confidence that suppliers can satisfy regulatory and sustainability requirements before long-term cooperation begins.
Business Implication
For Vietnamese companies seeking European customers, the market-entry process should therefore include a European Market Readiness Check.
This can include:
Product suitability
EU regulatory requirements
Certification
Packaging
Labelling
Traceability
Sustainability requirements
Pricing
Distributor structure
Competitor positioning
For European buyers sourcing in Vietnam, the same process works in reverse: supplier compliance should be verified before significant orders are placed.
This creates an increasingly important bridge between market-entry consulting and sourcing services.
Source:
Vietnam News – Exporters Urged to Act as EU Shifts to Stricter Sustainability Rules
https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1797833/exporters-urged-to-act-now-as-eu-shifts-to-stricter-sustainability-rules.html
EURO CONNECTIONS – BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY OF THE DAY
Buyer Requirement → Verified Vietnamese Supplier
Today’s Vietnam International Sourcing event highlights a simple but powerful business opportunity.
Instead of beginning with:
“Which Vietnamese products can we sell in Europe?”
start with:
“What products are European buyers already looking for?”
Then reverse the sourcing process.
EURO CONNECTIONS SOURCING MODEL
European Buyer
↓
Specific Product Requirement
↓
Technical / Commercial Specification
↓
Vietnam Supplier Research
↓
Supplier Shortlist
↓
Factory Verification
↓
Samples & Quotations
↓
Negotiation
↓
Order
↓
Local Follow-Up
This model can be applied across multiple sectors:
Food & Beverage | Agriculture | Coffee | Cashew | Pepper | Rice | Processed Food | Furniture | Packaging | Industrial Materials | CaCO3 | Consumer Goods
The opportunity is particularly strong for European SMEs that want to source from Vietnam but do not need or cannot justify maintaining their own permanent sourcing office in Asia.
EURO CONNECTIONS PERSPECTIVE
Vietnam International Sourcing 2026 sends an important signal.
Vietnam is no longer simply presenting itself to the world as a low-cost manufacturing destination.
It is actively positioning itself as an international sourcing and supply-chain hub.
At the same time, finding suppliers is becoming easier because of exhibitions, databases, digital platforms and AI.
Therefore, the value of local market expertise is shifting.
The competitive advantage is increasingly:
Verification + Relationships + Negotiation + Local Presence + Problem Solving + Execution
For European companies, the question should not only be:
“Can we find a supplier in Vietnam?”
The more important question is:
“Can we build a reliable, compliant and commercially competitive supply chain in Vietnam?”
That is where local market knowledge becomes valuable.
ONE SENTENCE FOR TODAY
Finding a Vietnamese supplier is becoming easier. Building a reliable Vietnamese supply chain is where the real work begins.
Euro Connections | Connecting Europe with Vietnam and ASEAN
#EuroConnections #Vietnam #EuropeanUnion #ASEAN #InternationalTrade #ImportExport #Sourcing #MarketEntry #SupplierVerification #SupplyChain #Investment #BusinessDevelopment #VietnamBusiness #AsiaBusiness #EVFTA #VietnamSourcing #FoodAndBeverage #GlobalTrade #DailyBusinessBrief
