Explore the robust trade relations between Vietnam & Ohio
Great opportunities for regional companies!
The Ohio SBDC Export Assistance Network (EAN) at Youngstown State University, in collaboration with the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce (VCCI), Ho Chi Minh City Branch, will host a trade mission to Youngstown, Ohio, October 1 - 4, 2024.
The trade mission, led by the VCCI, will feature 31 representatives of 23 Vietnamese companies in attendance.
The relationship between VCCI and EAN began in March 2019 when one of EAN’s partners, the Ohio-Pennsylvania Stateline Export Initiative, led a 10-company trade mission to Bangkok, Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Since then, companies in Ohio and Pennsylvania have benefited from this trade mission through increased two-way trade. A notable success from the 2019 trade mission was that Rickenbacker Airport established connections with their Vietnamese counterparts, which led to trade with Vietnam surpassing trade with China.
Building on this success, the EAN issued a reciprocating invitation to VCCI and its members to visit Ohio. It provides the opportunity to local and regional companies to buy, sell and/or partner through joint ventures with many Vietnamese companies among the delegation, as well as to network with VCCI officials to expand international sales to Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Since trade tensions and tariff wars between the US and China escalated, trade between the US and Vietnam has increased from $65 billion in 2018 to a record $126 billion in 2023, more than doubling trade. Meanwhile, Ohio’s trade with Vietnam has reached $4.7 billion in 2023, a new record as well.
The Vietnamese delegation represents various industries looking to export to Ohio including plastics, food and beverage, healthcare/beauty, natural rubber and more. Companies looking to import products from Ohio are in the construction/machinery, wastewater treatment equipment, food and beverage, plastics and other industries.
This event is in partnership with Youngstown State University, Williamson College of Business Administration, Ohio SBDC Export Assistance Network, Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, Columbiana County Port Authority, Lake to River Economic Development and Rickenbacker International Airport.
Indivduals interested in attending the B2B meetings taking place on Wednesday, Oct. 2, please contact Mousa Kassis (mhkassis@ysu.edu) or Mariah Carna (macarna@ysu.edu) for more information and the registration form. Payment of $95 is required for B2B companies.