Vietnam advances market access for Belarusian meat as Minsk weighs wider seafood entry
Four Belarusian companies are licensed to supply boneless beef to Vietnam, with the first shipment entering in April 2026. The two countries are also working on approvals for canned beef, processed meat, pork and chicken, while Vietnam seeks wider seafood access to the Eurasian Economic Union.
Four beef exporters receive approval
Vietnam and Belarus are expanding reciprocal access for meat and seafood as they seek to revive agricultural trade that has fallen sharply from its 2021 peak. According to Báo Nông Nghiệp và Môi trường, officials reviewed market-opening procedures during an August 25 meeting between Dennis Nikalayeu, trade counsellor at the Belarusian Embassy in Vietnam, and Phạm Ngọc Mậu, deputy director of Vietnam’s Department of International Cooperation.
Four Belarusian companies have been authorized to export boneless beef to Vietnam. Nikalayeu said the first shipment entered the Vietnamese market in April 2026 and received positive feedback. Belarus is preparing another shipment and plans to submit an additional list of eligible suppliers to Vietnam’s Department of Livestock Production and Veterinary Medicine.
The authorities have also made progress on permits for canned Belarusian beef. Minsk wants to add more ready-to-eat and processed meat products, broadening its presence beyond the initial boneless-beef approvals. Vietnam has asked Belarus to provide all requested information so that technical assessments and market-opening decisions can proceed more quickly.
Pork and chicken files remain under review
Approval work is continuing for Belarusian pork and chicken. Belarus has responded to a request for supplementary information concerning chicken, and the Vietnamese veterinary authority is reviewing the dossier before issuing a written opinion. For pork, the two sides are still exchanging information needed to complete Vietnam’s import-risk assessment.
Nikalayeu said lengthy reviews of export dossiers remain an obstacle for Belarusian agricultural suppliers. He called for closer coordination to help companies assemble documentation that meets Vietnamese requirements. Cooperation involving poultry meat and bone meal has been under way since 2025, giving regulators an existing framework for expanding the list of eligible animal products.
The discussions take place under the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union. The two agricultural sectors are considered complementary, but bilateral trade in agricultural, forestry and fishery products remains limited. It totaled about $10 million in 2025, down substantially from previous years and far below the roughly $90 million recorded at the 2021 peak.
Vietnam seeks reciprocal seafood access
Vietnam currently sells Belarus seafood, rice, cassava, cashew, tea and rubber, while tropical fruit, vegetables and coffee have been identified as products with further potential. In the opposite direction, Vietnam mainly imports Belarusian fertilizer and is gradually increasing purchases of livestock products, including beef.
Hanoi is seeking a more balanced approval process. The number of Vietnamese companies permitted to export meat and seafood to the Eurasian Economic Union is only about one-sixth of the number of Belarusian companies authorized to supply Vietnam. Phạm Ngọc Mậu asked Belarus to work with Russia and other union members to add more eligible Vietnamese seafood processors and exporters.
This reciprocal effort links access for Belarusian meat with wider opportunities for Vietnamese seafood in the union’s market. The two governments expect to consider holding the third meeting of their agricultural working group at the end of 2026 to review approvals, address outstanding technical barriers and set priorities for further cooperation.
