Cross-border e-commerce is accelerating in Vietnam, transporting goods to markets across Asia, Europe, the US, and Africa simultaneously, bypassing the traditional obstacles of distance and costs.

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Lai Viet Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of E-Commerce and Digital Economy at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, stated that digital technology is driving the expansion of e-commerce.

By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT), companies can optimise operations, reduce costs, analyse market trends, and develop smarter market strategies to meet global demand.

Nick Chai, Chairman of ACBC Malaysia, said Vietnam has the advantages to emerge as a regional nexus of cross-border e-commerce, from its strategic location, abundant goods supply, to a youthful workforce, and solid government backing.

These elements are poised to propel local companies to scale up and sharpen their global competitiveness.

Analysts concurred, noting Vietnam’s ripe opportunity to amplify exports through multi-platform e-commerce models. The key lies in diversification, not merely leaning on the US and China but expanding into ASEAN, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, they said.

Increasingly, Vietnamese companies are shifting from original equipment manufacturing (OEM) to direct-to-consumer (D2C) models to build “Made in Vietnam” brands, tapping sites like Amazon, TikTok Shop, Lazada, Shopee and JD.com to widen reach and maximise sales.

Investments in global logistics and training for cross-border e-commerce workforce are deemed vital to weave these firms more tightly into global supply chains.

ASEAN has transformed into a prime "digital frontier" for Vietnamese small enterprises, cooperatives and household producers venturing into cross-border e-commerce.

As Vietnam’s fourth-largest export market, ASEAN recorded 32 billion USD in two-way trade in 2023, and its e-commerce is projected to reach 330 billion USD in 2025.

Rising buyer demand and solid uptake of Vietnamese goods, especially in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, add to the allure.

Via Shopee International Platform, over 350,000 SMEs have jumped into online exports, capitalising on its built-in logistics, payments and customer service ecosystem to “sell globally from home”.

Value-added services such as automatic translation, optimised product listings, catalogue management, and localised customer support have dismantled barriers to regional growth.

In 2024, Vietnam’s e-commerce market was valued at over 25 billion USD, a 20% leap from the prior year, roughly 10% of the nation’s retail and consumer service revenue. That cements its spot in Southeast Asia's top three e-commerce markets.

Amid this e-commerce boom, cross-border trade is viewed not just as a hot trend but a strategic engine for national exports. It has been added to the Government's Go Global plan to spread Vietnamese firms' global footprint.

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