On 22 May 2023, an intensive business networking event was held in Ho Chi Minh City as part of the Slovenian-Vietnamese Business Forum, which was organised by the Slovenian economic delegation – the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport, SPIRIT Slovenia, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Slovenia (GZS), in cooperation with the Vietnamese branch of the Europe Enterprise Network, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam.
The event, which was opened by Minister Tanja Fajon and the Deputy Chairman of People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh Province, was attended by more than sixty business people from both countries, with the active participation of Luka Koper. During the discussions, the interlocutors stressed in particular the need for greater promotion of the economies of the two countries and the importance of weaving and nurturing personal contacts. The EVFTA free trade agreement, which will eliminate most customs duties on the European side by 2027 and on the Vietnamese side by 2030, represents a major opportunity.
The Port of Koper and Vietnamese ports are connected by all the world’s major shipping companies sailing on the Far East – Mediterranean route, but currently only via transhipment ports in Asia. For a possible increase in commodity flows with Slovenia and the hinterland countries, the establishment of a direct maritime link would be an additional incentive, mainly due to the additional advantages of a shorter transport route, savings in transport costs and more sustainable logistics.
Currently, the Port of Koper mainly handles various commodity groups in containers to/from Vietnam. Due to the relocation of industrial production in Asia, including to Vietnam, it is expected that the traditional export products from Vietnam (food products such as rice, coffee, frozen fish) will be joined in the future by other commodity groups, increasingly also from automotive and other industrial production.
