Popular Vietnamese hand-crafted items like brocade garments and clothing, rattan- and bamboo-made furniture, lacquer paintings, souvenirs, and farm produces, alongside the country’s traditional foods are on display at Vietnam’s pavilion at the fair. 

Vietnam launched its 1,500-sq.m pavilion with an opening ceremony featuring lion dances and traditional “Vovinam” martial arts. 

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Italy Nguyen Duc Thanh said the 22nd edition of the event gathers more than 3,000 businesses from more than 100 countries and territories. It provides an opportunity for Vietnamese firms to learn the demands of foreign markets, promote their products, learn from others’ experience in production and expand networks of overseas consumers, he noted.

Thanh also noted bilateral relations between Vietnam and Italy have seen significant progress over the past four decades after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1973. Two-way trade rose more than four-fold from US$1.13 billion in 2006 to US$4.7 billion last year, the trade counsellor said. 

Trade revenue between the two countries exceeded US$3.76 billion in the first ten months of 2017 with Vietnam’s exports to Italy hitting US$2.4 billion. Vietnam exported about US$4.5 million worth of handicraft products, such as rattan- and bamboo-made items, to Italy during the period while Vietnam’s shipments of garments and clothing exceeded US$186.8 million, he added.

L’Artigiano in Fiera, the world’s biggest international handicraft trade fair, was first held in Italy in 1996.

Source: vov.vn