The dynamism and experience of a producing country will be advantages for Vietnamese businesses when joining the global halal market, to which Singapore is the nearest gateway, said Vietnamese Trade Counsellor to the city state Cao Xuan Thang.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) on April 14, Thang cited experts as predicting that Singapore’s halal food market will sustain growth of 7 - 10% in the coming years.

The Muslim community, which accounts for 13.3% of Singapore's population, has high income and purchasing power. The country, which also attracts a large number of Muslim tourists, owns a widespread distribution system for halal products, he noted.

Pointing out certain challenges for Vietnamese firms, he said halal standards vary among countries, so halal food producers will face difficulties in maintaining different production methods for different markets. Besides, the high costs and long time for verifying each halal product may also be non-tariff barriers to Vietnamese businesses.

Suggesting ways to boost halal product exports to Singapore, the counsellor said businesses of Vietnam should quickly and proactively change their production methods and management to meet common hahal standards as well as specific rules in different countries.

He also described halal product and brand marketing as difficult, noting that it is even harder to maintain their presence in Singapore after entering this market. Therefore, businesses need to ensure product quality consistency and satisfaction of standards.

In the time ahead, the Trade Office of Vietnam will continue assisting Vietnamese enterprises to advertise their products and brands, seek partners in Singapore, and meet the country’s authorities in charge of halal standards to update information about the field, Thang added./.

Source: VietnamPlus