VIETNAM

Feedback from the Trade on Their Plans and Interest in the USA Pear Season:

Currently, The importer begin to import small shipment of pears with apples. The first shipments will arrive in the first week of December and we will conduct the plan to kick off the season on December 10 in HCMC. The event will have the participation of FAS, importers, wholesalers, retailers and supermarkets participating as well as press units with the aim of strongly promoting USA pears to consumers. Three other importers are also planning to import USA and expect the next shipments to arrive in Vietnam by the end of December.

Expectations for Any Freight or Logistics Challenges:

In November, Vietnam saw several heavy rainstorms that affected the arrival of goods. Importers said their USA Pears shipments were 10 days behind schedule. Most importers interested in signing the Vietnam-US trade agreement have yet to announce the final signing, although all parties have given many positive signals. The bilateral signing will expand the relationship and create many opportunities for breakthrough development of U.S. agricultural products in the coming time.

Opportunities in Your Market for Specific Varieties, Sizes, and Grades:

The importer focuses on only 3 main pear varieties for the Vietnamese market: Bosc, Green and Red Anjou. Their desired size is 36 - 42 with euro packaging.

Update on the Competition in the Market:

There is still Chinese pears dominates in traditional market, Korean pears, South African pears and Japanese pears are mainly distributed in supermarkets and high-end fruit stores.

Political or Economic Issues Impacting Imports, Retail, or Consumer Behavior:

Vietnam's economy continued to grow well in the third quarter, however, many storms and floods that lasted continuously across the country in November affected the economy of many households, which affected the purchasing decisions of many importers as they expected the purchasing power of high-end goods to decrease in the coming time.

Other Brief Comments:

None reported this period