Strength from trade promotion
80 years after the August Revolution and National Day September 2, Vietnam has transformed from poverty to an agricultural export powerhouse, with many products leading the world, in which Vietnamese coffee holds a special position, becoming a source of supply sought after by the world market, and global roasters are constantly looking to buy.
Established in 2015, the Ea Tu Fair Agricultural Service Cooperative (Ea Tu commune, Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province) currently links nearly 350 coffee growing households, on a total area of over 320 hectares. Mr. Tran Dinh Trong - Director of the cooperative - said that through fairs, exhibitions and trade connection activities, the cooperative directly approaches roasters and international partners in the field of processing and purchasing. This is an important channel to help Ea Tu coffee expand its market, develop exports and increase added value for its products. “Trade promotion activities create opportunities for small producers to connect with roasters around the world, thereby bringing high-quality coffee to the international market, bringing practical benefits to farmers,” Mr. Trong shared, adding that, up to now, the products of Ea Tu Cooperative have been known and ordered by customers in many countries such as the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, England, France, etc. The Cooperative is also a member of the Vietnam Specialty Coffee Association, producing according to the Honey method (fermenting ripe fruits and naturally drying), contributing to increasing the value of coffee beans and creating sustainable livelihoods for local farmers. In the 2024-2025 crop year, Vinh Hiep Company (Gia Lai) recorded more than 750 million USD in exports, expected to reach 1 billion USD this year. Contributing more than 12% of the country's coffee export turnover, Vinh Hiep affirms its pioneering position and demonstrates the strong resilience of the private economic sector in the strategy of elevating Vietnamese coffee in the international market.
The milestone of 1 billion USD in export turnover becomes even more meaningful when associated with the mark of 80 years after the August Revolution and National Day September 2, demonstrating an important step in the integration process of private enterprises. With the brand L'amant Café, Vinh Hiep proves that Vietnamese coffee is not only leading in output but also firmly positioned in the quality segment. The fact that L'amant Café was honored as a National Brand, present in more than 15 markets with the message "Organic To The World", affirms the stature of the authentic Vietnamese coffee brand.
"International customers come to buy our products in large numbers. There are months when we receive several groups every day, from Monday to Saturday. In the middle of last year, when we brought Son La specialty coffee to Chicago (USA) to promote our products, all the products were sold out. At the factory, 8,000 tonnes of coffee - equivalent to 400 containers - were also sold out. From the cheap Robusta coffee, Vietnamese coffee has now become the most expensive commodity in the world," said Mr. Phan Minh Thong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Phuc Sinh Group. Recently, at International Trade Conference - Connecting to Enhance Vietnamese Coffee, a key event within the framework of the 9th Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival, organized by the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, hundreds of strategic partners, experts and international investors attended. Conference not only shared insights into the global coffee market but also created a forum to promote trade cooperation, expand partnerships and aim for the sustainable development of the Vietnamese coffee industry.
Mr. Erdenebat Gombonasan, representative of Mongolian Citizens' Council, shared: “I am from Mongolia and have heard a lot about Vietnam and coffee here. We hope to connect businesses of the two countries, bringing Vietnamese coffee to Mongolia so that people have the opportunity to enjoy this special flavor”.
Meanwhile, Ms. Vanusia Nogueira, General Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO), emphasized: “Vietnam is currently the second largest coffee exporting country in the world, with great development potential. I hope that through international trade promotion activities, the quality of Vietnamese coffee will be known to many countries and international importers”.
Mr. Bach Thanh Tuan, Vice President of the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association and Director of the Community Development Company Limited (CDC), emphasized: “A good quality product today does not stop at delicious flavor. Trading activities not only help us export green coffee but also promote the export of deeply processed products, increase value and elevate the Vietnamese coffee brand in the international market”.
From small seeds to the world's No.1 position
Coffee came to Vietnam in 1857, when the French brought the first Arabica seeds to sow in Nghe An. Initially only present modestly on a few farms, the coffee tree quickly took root, finding a “promised land” in the Central Highlands - where fertile red basalt soil and a mild climate create ideal conditions for development.
By the 1920s and 1930s, plantations sprang up in Dak Lak and Lam Dong, turning coffee into an economic crop, gradually becoming the livelihood, culture and pride of the Vietnamese people. After the country's reunification, especially since the Doi Moi in 1986, the coffee industry entered a breakthrough period: Areas expanded throughout the Central Highlands, output increased sharply, bringing Vietnam overtaking Colombia in 2000 to the second position in the world in terms of exports, just behind Brazil. Currently, Vietnam maintains its No. 1 position among the top 5 coffee producing and exporting countries in the world, with Robusta coffee ranking No. 1 globally.
Coffee is not only an economic figure, but also closely associated with cultural life. A cup of drip coffee on the sidewalk has become an urban symbol, spreading the flavor of Vietnam to the world. From a purely agricultural product, coffee has become a representative of the nation's identity and aspirations to reach out.
In this journey, the Ministry of Industry and Trade plays a key role. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proactively negotiated, signed and implemented free trade agreements (FTAs), opening a "golden passport" for Vietnamese coffee to enter demanding markets such as the EU, Japan, Korea and the US. The system of Vietnamese trade offices abroad has become an "extended arm", supporting businesses in accessing information, connecting partners and handling trade disputes.
In addition, a series of promotion and advertising programs at international fairs, "Vietnamese Goods Week" or "Vietnamese Coffee Week" have contributed to positioning the image of Vietnamese coffee with rich identity and high quality. Ministry of Industry and Trade coordinates with local authorities and industry associations to build brands and geographical indications for Buon Ma Thuot coffee, supporting the development of organic coffee and deep processing.
Enterprises have invested in modern roasting systems, applied wet processing technology, and biological processing to enhance flavor, extend shelf life, and increase competitiveness. The development of instant coffee and specialty coffee is a strategic direction, increasing added value and expanding the market.
Faced with increasingly strict international standards, such as the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), the Vietnamese coffee industry faces both opportunities and challenges. This is the time to shift from output to quality, from raw exports to deep processing, from short-term value to green, sustainable development. Trade promotion activities, market connection, and coffee branding also help this industry approach the circular economy model, the experience economy, linking indigenous resources with local culture and history, thereby increasing the ability to adapt to climate change, market fluctuations and global consumption trends.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the total coffee area of our country in 2024 is about 718,000 hectares, with an output of 1.95 million tonnes, mainly Robusta coffee. In just 7 months of 2025, coffee exports reached 1.06 million tonnes of coffee, earning nearly 6 billion USD. This is an unprecedented high number in the history of this strong industry of our country, and at the same time shows that the position of Vietnamese coffee in the international market is increasingly consolidated. The export target of 7.5 billion USD in 2025 is not difficult to achieve. And with this result, the coffee industry has exceeded the target of 6 billion USD by 2030.
More than 160 years since the first Arabica beans appeared in Vietnam, 80 years after the August Revolution and National Day September 2, to date, the Vietnamese coffee industry has overcome difficulties, broken through and affirmed its international position. In the integration journey, the Industry and Trade sector is both a “pioneer” and a “companion” helping Vietnamese coffee not only conquer the market with output, but also build a national brand, spreading Vietnamese identity and aspirations to the world.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn