Dutch companies seek new opportunities in Vietnam

Netherland businessmen on December 11 expected to expand business operations in Vietnam following the visit of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to the country.

Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the meeting with Netherland enterprises on December 11. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Ingrid Thijssen, President of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW), welcomed the fact that the Vietnamese Government has introduced positive changes in business conditions.

She suggested Vietnam and the Netherlands improve economic cooperation in key sectors of logistics, high-tech agriculture, food production, seaport operation.

VNO-NCW brings together leaders of 115,000 Netherland enterprises and 160 associations. In the confederation, small- and medium-sized enterprises accounted for 80% of the total.

Dolf van den Brink, CEO of Heineken Global, said that sustainable development has been a top-priority target for the Government and people of Vietnam to achieve.

He credited the Vietnamese for the strong commitments to tackling climate change impacts and achieving net zero emission in 2050.

At the meeting, hydraulic engineering firm Boskalis stated Vietnam can become the world's leading shipping hub.

The company, which specializes in port and waterway construction and maintenance, land reclamation, and coastal and riverbank protection, expressed its willingness to advise the Vietnamese government on the development of a legislative framework for sustainable sand mining.

Arnout Damen, CEO of Shipyards Gorinchem, announced at the meeting that the company plans to invest another $100 million in the Vietnamese shipbuilding sector and can help Vietnam develop a low-carbon transportation network.

For his part, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh congratulated Ingrid Thijssen for being elected as VNO-NCW president.

He called on the organization to build bridges between Dutch businesses and Vietnam, especially in the fields of high-tech development, digital transformation, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, infrastructure and logistics, which would have a huge impact on the country's socio-economic development.

PM Chinh also suggsted the VNO-NCW help Vietnamese firms join regional and global supply chains as this is one of Vietnamese Government’s major concerns.

Taking note of the opinions of Dutch businesses, Prime Minister Chinh welcomed their ideas to expand business operations in Vietnam and promised to facilitate them.
She encouraged foreign enterprises to do green business, reduce the use of natural resources, water and energy, and improve waste treatment and recycling capacity.
He also urged Dutch enterprises to use modern and sustainable production technologies and contribute more to Vietnam's social security and environmental protection.

“Vietnam is a tropical country with huge potential for renewable energy, including wind and solar power. In addition, the country is developing a self-reliant, resilient, internationally-integrated economy,” PM Chinh said.

“Vietnam calls for assistance from international communities in terms of finance, technology, manpower, legislation, and administration.”

In addition, Vietnam targets to develop a sustainable agriculture sector in combination with sustainable water management, PM Chinh said.

With a coastal length of 3,2160 kilometers, Vietnam hopes to work with the Netherlands to construct seaports and turn the country into the world’s top sea transportation terminal, he said.

Vietnam expects all transport activities in the East Sea to be safe and free, the parties involved to resolve their disputes and the exploration of natural resources to be sustainable, he added.

The Netherlands is the largest EU investor in Vietnam, ranking eighth out of 141 foreign investors in the country, with 409 valid projects valued at $13.7 billion.