Vietnam

Agri-food and plant-based ingredients. Manitoba already exports wheat, pulses, canola, beef and pork to Vietnam, so buyers know Canadian product. Food processing and Asia-Pacific plant protein are both growing structurally. CPTPP staging widens Canada’s tariff edge every year.

Aerospace and MRO. Vietnam is the fifth-fastest-growing aviation market in the world, with 22 airport expansions and 8 new airports planned by 2030. About 75% of its MRO is outsourced. Openings in training and simulators, MRO, airport infrastructure and air traffic control map onto Winnipeg’s aerospace cluster.

Clean tech, water and wastewater. A federal delegation vehicle for water technology is running through Southeast Asia into Vietnam.

Education and skills. The one sector with a dated 2026 federal event and a named in-market desk. Vocational and institutional partnerships are active.

Where Manitoba is the buyer, not the seller. ICT and broad manufacturing run the other way: Vietnam is a lower-cost producer. Treat these as sourcing markets outside specific niches.

• Importer of record. Foreign firms cannot import in their own name. A Vietnamese entity must be importer of record, which makes partner selection a precondition for the first shipment.
• Staged tariffs. Check each HS code against the CPTPP schedule and re-check annually.
• SPS and labelling. Food import requirements are product-specific and set at national, provincial and sector level. Confirm with your importer before committing stock.
• Evolving law. The draft Food Safety Law and Personal Data Protection guidance are both in motion.

Vietnam runs 34 seaports handling 864 million tonnes and 29 million TEUs a year. Most Manitoba agri-food reaches the market through a Singapore or Hong Kong trading house rather than direct sale. Northern shipments land through Hai Phong for Hanoi; southern through Ho Chi Minh City.

• A verbal yes may mean “understood,” not “agreed.” Confirm every commitment in writing.
• Expect a longer, relationship-led sales cycle. Consistent follow-up matters more than the first meeting.
• English works at national level and in FDI sectors. Regional growth needs Vietnamese-language support.
• Infrastructure and port procurement often runs by direct invitation rather than open tender. Early positioning beats a strong bid.
• Several of the best in-market sources are Vietnamese-only or registration-gated. Budget for translation and access.