On November 17 (local time), during his visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with leaders of several top Brazilian corporations.  

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Roger Zen, Chairman and CEO of Oceanside One Trading. Photo: Nhat Bac  

Roger Zen, Chairman and CEO of Oceanside One Trading, highlighted that the corporation, headquartered in the United States with multiple subsidiaries in Brazil, operates primarily in the trade of goods such as chemicals, petroleum, tires, and fertilizers.  

In 2023, the company recorded revenue of over $500 million and maintained a commercial presence in more than 50 countries and territories.  

In Vietnam, Oceanside One Trading signed a $120 million agreement with a subsidiary of Vietnam Chemical Group to export automotive tires to Brazil. The partnership aims to increase export revenue to the U.S. and Brazil from $70 million to $150 million annually in the near future.  

Roger Zen expressed his appreciation for Vietnam’s potential, citing the strong friendship between the two nations, their cultural similarities, and complementary economies.  

The corporation plans to expand its purchases from Vietnam while also selling more products to Vietnam, targeting an annual trade growth rate of 15–20%. This collaboration, Zen said, will bring mutual benefits and improve the lives of farmers and their families.  

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Roger Zen and Nguyen Huu Tu, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Chemical Group, sign agreements in tire, fertilizer, and chemical manufacturing. Photo: Nhat Bac  

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed Oceanside One Trading’s ideas and partnership plans. He encouraged the company to provide feedback to Vietnam on regulatory improvements and policy responses to market conditions.  

The Prime Minister also urged the company to intensify trade collaboration and explore investment opportunities to help Vietnamese products reach global consumers and integrate deeper into global supply chains.  

The Prime Minister emphasized Vietnam's strategic position:  

- A population of over 100 million with a growing middle class.  

- 17 free trade agreements (FTAs) with more than 60 major economies worldwide.  

- Proximity to major markets such as China, ASEAN, Japan, and South Korea.  

He encouraged Oceanside One Trading and JBS to advocate for the negotiation of new-generation free trade agreements between Vietnam, the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), and Brazil, as well as investment protection agreements.  

To address geographical barriers between Vietnam and Brazil, Vietnam is actively expanding its shipping fleet and constructing large transit ports to lower transportation and logistics costs.  

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh meets with Mr. Celso Nunes, Innovation Director of Alterosa Group.
Photo credit: Nhat Bac

In another meeting, Celso Nunes, Innovation Director of Alterosa, was urged by the Prime Minister to expand cooperation with Vietnam, particularly in digital security, smart card technology, and digital infrastructure development. These efforts aim to promote Vietnam’s digital economy, smart governance, and innovation sectors, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things.  

Similarly, Marcio Rodrigues, CEO of JBS - the world’s largest meat processing corporation with $8.3 billion in revenue and over 65,000 employees globally - expressed interest in expanding investments in Vietnam.  

Despite the distance between the two countries, JBS sees Vietnam as a strategic location for serving the Asian market, particularly in livestock, poultry processing, food security, dairy production, and leather industries.  

Prime Minister Chinh invited JBS to visit Vietnam to explore opportunities for collaboration, expand supply chains, and introduce Vietnamese agricultural products to Brazil and global markets. He also suggested JBS consider building factories in Vietnam for leather processing, meat production, and export.  

The Vietnamese government is committed to improving the business environment, reforming administrative procedures, and offering favorable conditions for sustainable and efficient investments, including visa policies tailored to investors’ needs.  

Thu Hang