Hỗ trợ nhằm nâng cao năng lực quản trị cho các doanh nghiệp nhỏ và vừa Việt Nam nhằm vượt qua hàng rào kỹ thuật thương mại trong xuất khẩu nông sản

SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT 
CAPACITY FOR VIETNAMESE SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED 
ENTERPRISES TO OVECOME TECHNICAL TRADE BARRIERS 
IN AGRICULTURAL EXPORT
HỖ TRỢ NHẰM NÂNG CAO NĂNG LỰC QUẢN TRỊ 
CHO CÁC DOANH NGHIỆP NHỎ VÀ VỪA VIỆT NAM NHẰM 
VƯỢT QUA HÀNG RÀO KỸ THUẬT THƯƠNG MẠI 
TRONG XUẤT KHẨU NÔNG SẢN
Le Tien Dat, PhD - Le Thi Thu, MA
Thuongmai University
Tiendatle1509@gmail.com
Abstract
Since “Doi moi” (Vietnam’s economic reforms), Vietnamese agricultural products have in-
creasingly exported to numerous international markets. However, agricultural export activities
to fastidious markets with strict trade protection barriers such as US, EU and Japan is still a big
challenge for Vietnamese enterprises, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Play-
ing an important role in the country’s economy, Vietnamese agricultural export SMEs firmly need
supports from local and government agencies. Apart from training, further support programs
such as consulting activities, seminars and websites should be provided to Vietnamese agricul-
tural export SMEs to improve their management capacity to overcome technical barriers. This
paper focuses on support solutions for Vietnamese SMEs to improve their management capacity
to overcome barriers in agricultural export. This study is conducted by using qualitative ap-
proach. Data is collected through in-depth interviews with 124 Vietnamese SMEs doing business
in various fields, exporting various agricultural products and coming from various
provinces/cities in Vietnam. With the aim of improving management capacity for Vietnamese agri-
cultural SMEs in order to better export, overcoming technical trade barriers, the paper proposes
two groups of supports related to (1) Promoting consulting activities and seminars; and (2) Pro-
moting electronic information portals and websites. The paper is expected to be beneficial to
SMEs and government agencies in developing support programs for Vietnamese agricultural
SMEs. 
Keywords: Vietnam, SMEs, Agricultural export, Support programs, Trade barriers
Tóm tắt
Kể từ khi nền kinh tế Việt Nam mở cửa, nông sản (NS) Việt Nam ngày càng được khẳng
định vị thế trên thị trường quốc tế. Tuy nhiên, hoạt động xuất khẩu (XK) nông sản (NS) sang các
thị trường khó tính, với hàng rào bảo hộ thương mại nghiêm ngặt như Mỹ, EU và Nhật Bản vẫn
là thách thức lớn đối với các doanh nghiệp, đặc biệt là các doanh nghiệp nhỏ và vừa (DNNVV).
Với vai trò quan trọng trong phát triển kinh tế, các DNNVV XK NS Việt nam rất cần sự hỗ trợ từ
phía các cơ quan hữu quan từ cấp địa phương tới cấp trung ương. Bên cạnh các chương trình
đào tạo, các hoạt động tư vấn, hội thảo và websites cần được triển khai nhằm hỗ trợ DNNVV
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nâng cao năng lực quản trị vượt qua rào cản kỹ thuật. Bài viết này tập trung vào các giải pháp
hỗ trợ cho các DNNVV Việt Nam nhằm nâng cao năng lực quản trị vượt qua rào cản kỹ thuật
tiêu chuẩn quôc tế. Nghiên cứu này được thực hiện bằng phương pháp nghiên cứu định tính
thông qua phỏng vấn với 124 DNNVV xuất khẩu các sản phẩm NS khác nhau, tới các thị trường
khác nhau, và từ các tỉnh, thành Việt Nam. Nhằm nâng cao nắng lực XK cho các DNNVV NS
Việt Nam, vượt qua các hàng rào tiêu chuẩn kỹ thuật thương mại, bài viết đề xuất hai nhóm giải
pháp liên quan tới: (1) Các chương trình tư vấn và hội thảo; (2) Phát triển cổng thông tin điện
tử và websites. Bài viết mong đợi sẽ hữu ích cho bản thân các DNNVV cũng như các cơ quan
hữu quan trong việc phát triển các chương trình hỗ trợ cho các DNNVV XK NS Việt Nam. 
Từ khóa: Việt Nam, DNNVV, Xuất khẩu nông sản, Chương trình hỗ trợ, Hàng rào
thương mại
1. Introduction
Agricultural export plays an important role in the economic development of developing
countries, including Vietnam. In recent years, Vietnam’s agricultural export value has significantly
contributed to Vietnam’s total export value and GDP, increasingly asserted its position in the in-
ternational market. As a country based on agriculture development, Vietnam has integrated into
international markets and has gained significant achievements with the participation of many
business sectors, in which SMEs account for a significant proportion. In 2019, agricultural export
turnover reached about 41.3 billion USD, an increase of 3.2% compared to 2018. However, the
agricultural product export to promising but difficult markets of Vietnam such as USA, EU, Japan,
China is still a great challenge.
Recently, Vietnamese agricultural export has gained advantages in expanding foreign mar-
kets due to incentive policies from free trade agreements. However, trading countries have in-
creasingly imposed protection barriers on these agricultural products. A great number of non-tariff
barriers have been created, which requires exporters to take steps to meet these standards as this
directly relates to opport ... foreign partners are also
activities that SME managers want to join. When it comes to workshop organized during field-
trips, the involvement of not only SME managers and foreign partners but also state support agen-
cies was perceived useful by SME managers in this study. 
Table 1: Consultancies and seminars to improve management capacity to overcome 
echnical trade barriers needed by Vietnamese agricultural export SME managers
Source: Authors
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Consulting activities
Consulting on export markets
Consulting on export industries & on manufacturing technology
Consulting on legal & policy issues
Consulting on export technical standards
In-depth consultancy on agricultural export & on arising issues
Workshops /Seminars
Workshops on international business trends & updated changes in export policies & laws
Workshops on general technical standards & those applied in particular nations
Workshops on agricultural export, Specific agricultural export products & Agricultural tech-
nology
Workshops on Vietnam’s key export markets & Vietnamese agriculture
Trading promotion activities
Business Fieldtrips
4.2. Developing Electronic Information Portals and Websites to improve Management 
Capacity
In the era of industrial revolution 4.0, accessing to useful information through the devel-
opment of electronic portals and websites was also a content that SME managers in this study
wanted to be supported. They perceived portals and websites as a source of “providing prompt,
timely, regular and accurate information for agricultural export SMEs” (M_73). These channels
are considered as a reliable source when export SMEs need accurate information to deploy export
transactions. 
Following are some kinds of online information that Vietnamese SME managers wish to
receive via the channels of portals and websites
Online information on export market/ products & on specific agricultural products
SME managers in this study wanted to get online information about markets that they are
exporting to, as shared by one SME manager “We need accurate and updated information on
websites to better understand market needs to make adjustment properly” (M_57). In addition,
the SME managers also expected to get online information about specific export products, such
as “detailed information about coffee products and markets on websites” (M_85).
Online information on legal regulations & on technical standards 
From the view of Vietnamese SME managers in this study, export laws and policies are
constantly changing, therefore they needed to be updated legal regulations related to technical
standards in agricultural export on websites. The guidance and notices for SMEs to manufacture
products to meet specific requirements of export markets are also a content that Vietnamese SME
managers expected to acquire via websites. 
Online Information Administration
When it comes to online information, it could be delivered to SME managers via various
channels such as portals, websites or online manual guidance book. Manual guidance documents
may provide SME managers with detailed description about technical requirements in specific
markets, as well as instructions to overcome these barriers. Besides, online information may also
be delivered via online consultancies and seminars. Online seminars may provide more opportu-
nities for SME managers – who live far away from big cities where traditional seminars are often
organized. Also, online seminars may better call the involvement of business partners from many
countries. 
Table 2: Developing electronic portals and websites to improve management capacity to
overcome technical trade barriers, needed by Vietnamese agricultural export SMEs.
Source: Authors
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Online information on export market/ products & on specific agricultural products
Online information on legal regulations & on technical standards
5. Implications
As discussed in the previous section, supports provided to assist Vietnamese SMEs to over-
come technical barriers may include consultancies and seminars, as well as portals and websites
to provide information for export SMEs. SME managers, based on their current export capacity
and accessibility conditions may select the appropriate programs to join. Also, government agen-
cies may develop further suitable supports in accordance to the needs shared by SME managers. 
5.1. Promoting Consulting Activities and Seminars 
Consulting activities and seminars providing updated information on agricultural export
markets for SMEs should be regularly organized. Recently, agricultural markets are always dif-
ficult to predict and evaluate. Governments in export countries often make changes in laws and
policies to cope with such market fluctuations. New regulations on tariffs and non-tariff measures
are therefore increasingly sophisticated, resulting in challenges for exporters, including Viet-
namese agricultural export SMEs. In order to proactively react and deal with changes from mar-
kets, especially from difficult ones, the government supports to provide adequate and updated
information on agricultural export is strongly needed. In particular, supports related to technical
trade barriers should also be highly considered as it affects directly to the export performance 
of SMEs. 
Besides issues related to laws and technical requirements, consultancies/seminars may
cover topics such as developing/ selecting appropriate export products and markets. Seminars
may include the discussion on exporting specific agricultural products such as coffee, dragon
fruits, and the introduction on technical trade barriers of some specific markets such as China,
Australia, and the US. In particular, seminars on technology solutions to help SMEs standardize
their process of manufacturing may bring many practical lessons for SMEs. There should also
be in-depth consultancies for SME managers when they need to urgently solve problems encoun-
tered during the export process. 
As expected by SME managers in this study, consultancies should be delivered by both
Vietnamese and foreign experienced and skillful experts. Also, support organizations should turn
the workshops/ seminars into opportunities for export SMEs to share, cooperate and work together
to overcome technical barriers, enhancing efficiency of agricultural export. 
Trading promotion programs should be innovated in both organizing methods and relevant
parties involved. There should be more focus on organizing effective fieldtrips for SMEs. It is
also necessary to strengthen the coordination between 3 parties: Government, trading promotion
organizations and SMEs. In trading promotion, SME cooperation and competition should be seen
as the basis for forming and developing networks, gradually eliminating the dependence of SMEs
on the state’s current trading promotion and programs. Trading promotion organizations need to
increase the provision of trade promotion support services to SMEs such as providing information
about markets and competitors; offering advice and legal consulting to help SMEs solve problems;
connecting SMEs with state agencies and customers in order to seize opportunities and prevent
threats in export markets. Trade counselors at Vietnamese Embassies in foreign countries should
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actively provide information, support and advice to domestic SMEs to better understand and ac-
cess foreign markets. Export SMEs themselves need to regularly provide the promotion agencies
with updated information about their products, be more proactive in researching markets, cus-
tomers’ needs to create appropriate product development strategies. The coordination between
relevant parties not only helps SMEs in updating knowledge, but also in implementing export
activities, especially in handling disputes related to international technical trade barriers. Viet-
namese trade promotion agencies needs to develop a program to promote and strengthen the sup-
port activities of the Business Support Centers by expanding more centers in localities, providing
fees for these centers to support more SMEs across the country. 
5.2. Promoting electronic information portals and websites
Portals of state agencies should be developed to disseminate new policies and inform mar-
ket changes in order to assist SMEs to update information timely. Based on that, SMEs can ana-
lyze, evaluate and make adjustment in terms of management or business plans. In particular, for
new SME exporters, detailed online information under various formats such as manual guidance
may help them to comprehensively and fully acquire knowledge to limit risks in violating the
regulations. 
Websites developed by support associations or state governance agencies should help
SMEs to promote their products. This can be seen as the bridge between SMEs and state agen-
cies, facilitating state organizations to manage and provide support timely to SMEs. Stage
agencies from central to local levels should complete the construction of their portals, timely
update information on the web portals. In addition, there should be support for each SME to
establish their own business websites to introduce products, promote their brand and approach
customers more effectively.
Based on support needs expressed by the Vietnamese SME manager in this research, web-
sites should have regular updates on regulations and laws, especially international technical stan-
dards. This information may be in the form of general information, or specific introduction and
instruction about particular export markets or products. In addition, online seminars on websites,
with the participation of foreign importers should be organized as they are useful for many export
SMEs from different regions in Vietnam.
Furthermore, there should be more supports focusing on developing e-commerce activities
for agricultural export SMEs, including constructing information technology infrastructure, de-
veloping media campaign and organizing discussions to raise awareness about the role of e-com-
merce. Workshops on IT knowledge and how to use and exploit information on the internet, the
role of websites and how to develop online business should also be organized.
6. Conclusion
By using in-depth qualitative research methods, the paper has discussed the perceptions of
Vietnamese agricultural export managers with regard to support programs to assist them better
export, overcoming technical trade barriers. Accordingly, they wished to receive supports from
consulting activities and seminars, as well as receive information from portals and websites to
enhance management capacity. Based on such support needs, relevant agencies may develop ap-
propriate support programs to meet the actual needs of SME exporters. However, the paper also
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has some limitations. Due to the time constraints, almost SMEs participated in this study are from
the north of Vietnam. The paper just focuses on general support programs, does not specify into
supports for particular products and/or specific markets. These is the suggestions for further stud-
ies to fulfil the research gap. 
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List of Participants
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Code Position Location Firm type Business field Labour
(people)
Capital
(million)
Age
(year)
Main
markets
M_49 Head of Sale Dep. HCMC Limited
Company
(LC)
Manufacturing
and exporting agri-
cultural products
10-200 10-20 11-20 US
M_57 Head of Sale Dep. Ha Nam Joint Stock
Company
(JSC)
Manufacturing
and exporting agri-
cultural products
10-200 20-100 6-10 China
M_73 Director Ha Nam LC Agricultural in-
vestment and de-
velopment
<10 <10 3-5 Others
M_74 Vice Director Nam Dinh JSC Manufacturing
export agricultural
products
10-200 20-100 11-20 China
M_75 Head of Sale Dep. Son La JSC Manufacturing
and exporting agri-
cultural products
10-200 20-100 11-20 Laos
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M_77 Head of Sale Dep. Son La LC Agriculture 10-200 10-20 3-5 Korea
M_84 Head of Sale Dep. Son La LC Manufacturing
and exporting cas-
sava 
200-300 20-100 >20 EU
M_85 Head of Sale Dep. Son La LC Manufacturing
and exporting cof-
fee
10-200 20-100 6-10 EU
M_86 Head of Sale Dep. Son La JSC Manufacturing
and exporting sug-
arcane
10-200 20-100 11-20 China
M_89 Head of Sale Dep. Son La JSC Manufacturing
and exporting agri-
cultural products
10-200 20-100 3-5 EU
M_95 Director Bac Giang LC Agricultural in-
vestment and de-
velopment 
200-300 10-20 11-20 Russia
M_98 Director Bac Giang JSC Investment and
trading
<10 20-100 11-20 China
M_99 Director Bac Giang JSC Manufacturing
export agricultural
products
10-200 20-100 11-20 China
M_100 Director Bac Giang LC Food <10 <10 <3 China
M_110 Director Bac Giang LC Vegetables 10-200 10-20 <3 China
M_113 Head of Sale Dep. Hai
Duong
JSC Manufacturing
and exporting agri-
cultural products
10-200 10-20 <3 China
M_121 Head of Sale Dep. Hai
Duong
JSC Manufacturing
export agricultural
products
10-200 <10 3-5 China
M_122 Head of Sale Dep. Hai
Duong
JSC Manufacturing
export agricultural
products
10-200 <10 3-5 China
M_124 Vice Director Quang
Ninh
JSC Manufacturing
export agricultural
products
10-200 10-20 3-5 Others