Vietnamese lychees are on sale at a supermarket in Paris, France. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – France is a promising market for Vietnam’s agricultural products and foodstuffs, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in France.

Statistics showed that each year, France's imported agricultural and food products account for 20 percent of the country's domestic consumption. Import value has doubled over the past 20 years, from 28 billion EUR (30.5 billion USD) in 2000 to 56 billion EUR in 2019.

Of more than 9,200 agricultural products imported to the country, there are 900 items with a trade deficit of more than 50 million EUR.

The Trade Office blamed it on the fact that the cultivation is continously decreasing. An increase in market demand for fruit juices and foreign fruits such as avocado, mango and dragon fruit is also a reason.

Despite being the leading European country in terms of organic farming, France’s production can meet 67 percent of domestic demand.

France is the largest rice importer, accounting for 35 percent of the European Union with an annual demand of about 600,000 tonnes. However, the amount of Vietnamese rice entering the French market only takes up about 2.1 percent of its market share.

There is still plenty of room to increase the market share of agricultural products and food to this market, but it’s not easy for Vietnamese businesses to penetrate the EU and France market in particular, the trade office said.

A simple but highly effective approach is to participate in retail and specialised fairs, it said, adding that exporters should take advantage of the opportunities brought by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA)

Vu Anh Son from Vietnam Trade Office in France said it was necessary for enterprises to manage the products’ quality properly to ensure their reputation and long-term market share because the EU and France strictly control the quality standards of products imported into the markets and can impose import restrictions when detecting those that do not satisfy their standards.

In the coming time, the trade office will continue to collaborate with domestic and foreign enterprises in promoting Vietnamese agricultural produce. Attention will be paid to the organisation of Vietnamese Goods Week as well as strengthen the dissemination of the image of Vietnamese agricultural products through leaflets and publications.

It wil👍l also build a network of partners who are importers, supermarket chains of Asian goods in France, the trade office said./.