Senegal seeks to boost cooperation with Vietnam

Senegal, the third-largest rice consumer in Africa after Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, imports from 800,000 to 1 million tons of rice annually, with over 90% or 100% being broken rice, according to Hoang Duc Nhuan, Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Algeria, concurrently accredited to Senegal.

Senegalese businesses have shown strong interest in importing Vietnamese products, including rice, spices, coffee, tea, construction materials, wooden furniture, packaging, and school equipment and supplies.

Conversely, Senegalese enterprises aim to boost exports of key commodities, including raw cashew nuts, cotton, seafood, and fishmeal for animal feed.

Senegalese businesses highly value the experience and financial capacity of Vietnamese enterprises and are eager to form partnerships for joint investments in production and processing sectors within Senegal.

They also seek opportunities to import products for domestic consumption and export to other countries across the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

However, trade transactions face several challenges, including trust concerns in payment processes, reliance on intermediaries for cashew exports to Vietnam, and visa application difficulties.

To promote economic and trade relations between Vietnam and Senegal, Mr. Mbaye Chimère NDIAYE, Secretary-General of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, and Agribusiness of Dakar, emphasized the need to strengthen the legal framework for trade, industry, and investment. He also suggested establishing a Vietnam-Senegal Business Council and launching trade promotion activities, workshops, business forums, and information-sharing initiatives on the economic potential of both nations.

According to Mr. Nhuan, both countries should increase delegation exchanges and facilitate business participation in international fairs and exhibitions, such as Vietnam Expo, Vietnam International Sourcing Expo, Vietnam Food Expo, and Senegal’s Dakar International Fair. He also emphasized the importance of introducing investment opportunities, supporting businesses in partner verification, and advising on dispute resolution.

Trade figures from the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Vietnam Customs show that in 2023, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Senegal reached $107.46 million, marking a 52.4% increase from 2022.

In the first four months of 2025, Vietnam’s export turnover to Senegal surged to $107.46 million, reflecting an increase of $43.43 million, nearly matching the entire export value of 2024 ($43.91 million).