This step follows an earlier decision by the Vietnamese government in mid-2025, which approved the import of chilled and frozen Czech pork and beef. So far the Department of Animal Health has approved nine Czech exporters, who are now authorized to export both meat and meat products to Vietnam under standardized veterinary and hygienic conditions.

Pork consumption is nearing 40 kg per person annually

Pork is clearly the most popular meat in Vietnam. In 2023, consumption reached 4.3 million tons, making it a key livestock product in the Vietnamese market. While imports of fresh and chilled pork declined slightly in 2024, interest in frozen meat and offal increased, mainly due to more favourable prices and longer storage times. Brazil accounts for up to 40 % of total pork imports, followed by Russia, with approximately a 30 % share. However, Vietnam ranks among the countries with the most diverse import structure in the entire region. In 2024, approximately 43 countries imported pork to Vietnam, including Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands, in addition to the two mentioned above. Thanks to easier market access, there is now room for further growth in imports from the Czech Republic.

Most meat imported as beef is actually buffalo meat

A significant portion of beef imports into Vietnam consists of Indian buffalo meat, which is recorded as beef in customs statistics. India covers nearly a quarter of all imports, making Vietnam one of its largest customers. Annually, Vietnam imports over 200,000 tons of frozen boneless beef, while fresh or chilled meat accounts for only a small share. Consumption is heavily supported by Korean BBQ chains and hotpot restaurants, which are particularly popular in larger cities. Demand traditionally peaks during the Lunar New Year and wedding season. Although beef is shipped into the country as block-packed meat through modern ports, much of it is then cut up and sold at traditional markets, where most Vietnamese people shop. Beef remains a „luxury protein “, although interest in premium cuts such as wagyu and Australian ribeye is growing. Offal also represents a significant import item, widely used in the popular street food scene.

From PROPED to import

The permission to import chilled or frozen pork and beef, and now processed meat products, is the culmination of years of effort by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Hanoi, in close cooperation with the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. As part of the Project to Support Economic Diplomacy (PROPED), the Vietnamese Veterinary Administration undertook an inspection trip to the Czech Republic in the summer of 2024, where it was able to see for itself the unquestionable level of Czech veterinary supervision throughout the food chain, as well as the professionalism of Czech farms, slaughterhouses, and meat processing plants.

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Hanoi will continue to work with its Czech partners to ensure that the list of companies registered with the Vietnamese authorities continues to grow significantly.