At a meeting with the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency in May 2026, Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung stressed the need to renew trade promotion in the changing context, stressing that the work should not only aim to make connections, but must truly "pave the way", activate markets, and drive businesses to expand their room for growth.

That vision also suggests a way of thinking about the National Brand: recognition is not the end point but an added platform from which businesses can continue to improve quality, innovate, expand into new markets and strengthen their position in global value chains.

“Paving the way” for business to expand growth space

On August 29, 2026, the Minister of Industry and Trade issued Decision No. 2136/QD-BCT, recognising 499 products from 227 enterprises as Viet Nam National Brands in 2026. This marks a new milestone in the more than two-decade history of the Government’s distinctive, long-term trade promotion programme.

The programme has grown from 30 enterprises with 50 products in its first edition in 2008, to 190 enterprises with 359 products in 2024 and 227 enterprises with 499 products in its 10th edition in 2026. Behind this expansion in numbers, is a qualitative shift among Vietnamese businesses: they are increasingly focused on quality, innovation, creativity, and emerging capability and competency in international markets.

THE JOURNEY OF 10 EDITIONS

This year’s list of honourees spans a wide range of economic sectors, including industry, technology, engineering, energy, materials, construction, agriculture, food, consumer goods, and services.

Notably, the National Brand is increasingly being viewed within a broader vision. At Viet Nam National Brand Week 2026, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam National Brand Council, stressed that the National Brand was no longer simply a matter of image-building or trade promotion in the traditional sense. It should instead be considered as a strategic asset, reflecting Viet Nam's overall competitiveness and reputation in global value chains.

“The Government will vouch for high-quality, reputable product brands, helping businesses establish a foothold in the domestic market and creating the conditions for them to develop their brands internationally.”

— Nguyen Hong Dien

Vice President of the National Assembly and former Minister of Industry and Trade

From this perspective, an award is not an end point. Recognition as a National Brand acknowledges the value a business has built, while also setting expectations that it will continue to innovate, improve quality, master technology, pursue sustainable development and expand into new markets.

In a message to Nhan Dan Newspaper, Nguyen Hong Dien, then Minister of Industry and Trade, also underlined the role of the National Brand Programme in building and developing product brands, helping to strengthen national competitiveness, elevate the standing of Vietnamese brands and promote foreign trade.

“The National Brand should be considered as a strategic asset, reflecting Viet Nam's overall competitiveness and reputation in global value chains.”

— Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan

Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and former Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade

That is why each selection round is not only an opportunity to honour businesses and products but also a chance to take stock of the strength Vietnamese businesses are building.

When brand stories are promoted

A brand needs more than a good product to go far. A business must be visible, its story must be told accurately, and information must be authoritative and transparent enough for partners, consumers and markets to find out more.

This is also an area where journalism can help fill a gap.

In 2024, Nhan Dan Newspaper and the Ministry of Industry and Trade launched the National Brand Portal, serving as a centralised information hub for recognised brands, products and businesses. The portal features sections on brands, businesses, news and multimedia. Each business having product recognised as National Brand has its own space to present information, images and its development story.

At the launch ceremony, Nhan Dan Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Le Quoc Minh stressed that, with comprehensive and transparent information about businesses and products, the portal would be “a highly trustworthy source of information and reference, both in Viet Nam and abroad”, helping build an image of Viet Nam as a country known for high-quality goods and services.

“The National Brand Portal on Nhan Dan Newspaper will be a highly reputable source of information and reference, both in Viet Nam and abroad.”   
 

— Le Quoc Minh

Member of the Party Central Committee and Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper

From an information portal, the platform is taking on added significance as the number of National Brand businesses continues to grow. The 227 businesses recognised in the 2026 edition need not only to be honoured but also to be acknowledged as part of a wider picture of the production capacity, innovation and international integration of Vietnamese businesses.

That is also why stories about PAN, Vinh Hung, ThaiBinh Seed and other enterprises should not appear only as single reports. Seen together, they offer snapshots of an economy shifting from a production advantage towards competition based on quality, technology, creativity, and brand strength.

Available in both Vietnamese and English, Nhan Dan Newspaper’s National Brand Portal can serve as another venue of connection, helping information about Vietnamese businesses reach a wider audience and giving the stories behind their products a fuller telling.

From Vietnamese stories to global markets

Experience across the business community shows that a growing number of Vietnamese brands are no longer focused simply on taking products abroad. They aim to take their values, reputation and brand with them. To do so, brand-building must begin with substance: real value, built up steadily over time.

For ThaiBinh Seed, that foundation lies in science and technology, product quality and close ties with farmers. Tran Manh Bao, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThaiBinh Seed, said: "We do not put profit first. We are committed to a long-term path based on science and technology, product quality, and the interests of farmers."

Tran Manh Bao, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThaiBinh Seed.

For the PAN Group and Vinaseed, the same story is rooted in adding value to agricultural products. Rather than competing on volume alone, the businesses focus on quality, research and development, gradually bringing their products to markets with demanding standards.

“It is not just about products, sales, and revenue. We have to export our brand and reputation, and take agricultural products to the world.”

— Nguyen Thi Tra My

Chief Executive Officer of the PAN Group and Chairwoman of Vinaseed

In another sector, Vinh Hung illustrates a different path: mastering technology and then moving further along the value chain. Products that once had to be imported are now researched and manufactured domestically by the business, which is gradually exporting them in turn. This is not simply a story of import substitution; it is also about building technological capability and the reputation of a Vietnamese business.

Stories like these show that the difference between “made in Viet Nam” and a “Vietnamese brand with standing” lies in the value created and the market’s ability to recognise it.

“Products that we used to import are now products for which we have mastered the engineering and technology, and which we are exporting in turn.”

— Tran Duc Tien

Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vinh Hung Trading, Consulting and Construction Joint Stock Company

This is where the media can also provide a powerful impetus.

A good product needs the market to know about it. A capable business needs partners to see what it can do. A brand seeking to reach the world needs a credible story that can build trust.

For a leading media organisation like Nhan Dan Newspaper, reporting on the National Brand is therefore about more than promoting products. More importantly, it brings the story of Vietnamese businesses' capabilities into an authoritative, in-depth information space with broad reach.

This was the purpose from the outset when the National Brand Portal was launched. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said its partnership with Nhan Dan Newspaper would provide official information about the programme and participating businesses, helping build an image of Viet Nam as a country known for high-quality goods and services, while promoting foreign trade and strengthening national competitiveness.

In particular, developing content for international readers adds another dimension to this work. When information about Vietnamese businesses can be shared not only in Vietnamese but also with international audiences, the portal becomes a bridge between brands and markets.

The media cannot replace product quality, but they can help ensure that quality is recognised accurately and more widely.

A platform for a new journey

A total of 227 enterprises will come together at an award ceremony on October 16. Behind the awards ceremony, however, lie very different journeys: some businesses have grown out of agriculture; others have mastered technology; and some have evolved from traditional brands into new technology products. Some brands are already present in many markets, while others are embarking on a new phase of expansion.

The value of the National Brand, then, does not lie solely in the moment a name is announced.

The award recognises a journey; markets set new demands; and businesses must continue to innovate if they are to maintain their standing. Government agencies create the framework and work alongside businesses to support them, while the press can expand the space in which these values are seen, understood and connected.

The 227 enterprises and 499 products are therefore more than figures from a selection round. They represent 227 stories still being written through quality, innovation and competitiveness. As these stories are told more widely and transparently, and reach more partners, consumers and markets, Vietnamese brands gain another platform from which to continue their journey towards new heights and a stronger global standing.

Production Director: KHANH SON

Production Manager: THU HA

Content: THU HA – ANH TRUONG

Photos: TRUONG GIANG – CAN DUNG

Design: ANH TRUONG