- New Invest and Trade WA office opens in Ho Chi Minh City
- Four-day mission under way to grow business and Government relationships
- WA exported $2.2 billion of goods to Vietnam in 2021-22, well above the annual average of $1.2 billion over the past 10 years
The McGowan Government has opened a new Invest and Trade WA office in Ho Chi Minh City, in recognition of the increasing opportunities between Vietnam and Western Australia.
Deputy Premier Roger Cook opened the new office at an event in Ho Chi Minh City last night,as part of a four-day investment, trade and tourism mission to Vietnam.
It marks the first ministerial visit to Vietnam since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ho Chi Minh City office is the 12th international WA Invest and Trade office, and the third location in the ASEAN Hub.
The new office is part of the expanded global invest and trade network which is being supported by the McGowan Government's $195 million Reconnect WA package.
It builds on WA's existing commitment to Vietnam, where there has been an International Education Business Development Manager based in Hanoi since 2019.
The operations of the Ho Chi Minh City office are being overseen by ASEAN Investment and Trade Commissioner Krista Dunstan, and supported by Director Duc Tran and Education Business Development Manager Thuy Vo.
Earlier this week, the Minister met with representatives from a number of Vietnamese airlines to continue discussions on securing direct flights to Western Australia.
There were also meetings with the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the Ho Chi Minh City branch of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and local proponents to discuss hydrogen opportunities.
There was also a keynote speech promoting Western Australia as a destination of choice for international students.
Following Ho Chi Minh City, the delegation will travel to Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where the Deputy Premier will meet with the Chairman of Ba Ria-Vung Tau People's Committee, Nguyen Van Tho, to discuss opportunities to strengthen economic and cultural ties.
The WA Government has continued to strengthen its relationship with Vietnam, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, a key economic zone in Vietnam, in September 2020.
The MOU fosters mutual economic development, with a particular focus on tourism, education and vocational training, and culture and the arts
While in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, the Minister will attend a number of events to strengthen cooperation under the MOU, including speaking at a tourism conference, and visiting a local school to identify opportunities for further education collaboration.
There will also be a visit to Austal's operations in the province, a key WA investment in Vietnam.
Vietnam is WA's 13th largest trading partner, with $2.6 billion of goods traded in 2021-22.
In 2021-22, WA exported $2.2 billion of goods to Vietnam, which was almost double the annual average of $1.2 billion over the past decade, reflecting increasing economic opportunities between the two regions.
There are more than 18,000 Vietnamese-born people living in WA, and Vietnamese is the third most commonly reported language other than English spoken in WA homes.
Comments attributed to State Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook:
"With 2023 marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam, it is the perfect time for WA to open a new office in Vietnam.
"The new Ho Chi Minh City office provides future opportunities for Western Australian companies to do business in Vietnam and attract investment into the State.
"We are committed to growing the strong relationship between WA and Vietnam, which is underpinned by strong people-to-people connections, and substantial trade and investment links.
"We are keen to work with aviation partners to support direct flights between Vietnam and Perth, where there are more than 18,000 Vietnamese-born people living in WA.
"There is an important opportunity to explore energy co-operation between Vietnam and WA, working in partnership to balance our desire for sustainability and security in the region as part of the global energy transition.
"WA has a highly skilled workforce, underpinned by a world-class education and training sector which provides an opportunity to partner with Vietnam on skills development to foster economic growth."
Minister's office - 6552 6500
