Strengthen commercial cooperation between Vietnam and Burkina Faso
Vietnam constitutes a market with high potential for Burkina Faso in the areas of trade, industry and energy, while welcoming the achievements of Burkina Faso under the leadership of President Ibrahim Traoré.
Vietnam constitutes a market with high potential for Burkina Faso in the areas of trade, industry and energy, while welcoming the achievements of Burkina Faso under the leadership of President Ibrahim Traoré.
This was stated by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Truong Thanh Hoài during a meeting on January 21 with Daouda Bitié, Ambassador of Burkina Faso to China, also accredited to Vietnam, to examine ways to boost bilateral economic and commercial cooperation.
During the meeting, Truong Thanh Hoài stressed that in 2025, Vietnam had recorded notable progress, particularly in foreign trade, the total volume of which reached a record level of 930 billion dollars. The country has also signed and implemented 17 free trade agreements out of the 19 negotiated.
On the commercial front, bilateral trade between 2020 and 2024 reached on average nearly $95 million per year, a level still considered modest in view of the potential of the two countries. Respective exports represent less than 0.05% of each party's total trade, while industrial cooperation remains limited.
To stimulate trade, the vice minister proposed strengthening delegation exchanges, intensifying the sharing of information on markets and economic policies, and organizing more trade promotion activities. He also invited Burkinabè companies to participate in international trade fairs and events organized in Vietnam.
Priority sectors of cooperation include rice, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, construction materials, consumer goods, textiles, as well as mining industries, agro-food processing, fertilizers and food security.
For his part, Ambassador Daouda Bitié welcomed Vietnam's economic performance in 2025 and expressed his country's desire to deepen bilateral economic and commercial cooperation. Committed to global reform, Burkina Faso wishes to draw inspiration from the Vietnamese experience, particularly in the areas of agriculture, basic industry, investment and technology transfer. The country also has a strong demand for rice, petroleum products, motorcycles and spare parts.
Pending the establishment of permanent diplomatic representations, the two parties agreed to designate focal points responsible for facilitating the exchange of information and preparing technical and commercial missions. The deputy minister also proposed to study the signing of a memorandum of understanding on rice trade.
Ambassador Daouda Bitié reaffirmed his commitment to cooperate closely with the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade in order to realize the proposals put forward and sustainably strengthen economic ties between the two countries.
Over the period 2020-2024, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Burkina Faso reached an average of nearly $95 million per year. However, this volume remains below the potential of both parties.
