Dozens of business, community and government leaders were in attendance at the event sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) in collaboration with the ASEAN Business Council-New Zealand (ANZBC).

At the forum, Vietnam Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang talked about where the Vietnam economy has been, where it is headed and how the proposed TPP and governmental laws and regulations under consideration would affect them.

Forums like this are designed to improve Vietnam and New Zealand trade and cooperation relationships, said Hoang because by being there and talking face to face it gives people a better fingertip feel for what's going on.

Hoang said Vietnam’s combined imports and exports with New Zealand have increased more than two-fold over the last five years to US$707 million in 2015, which has barely scratched the surface of the future potential.
In addition, Hoang said he was confident that passage of the TPP would be important to maintaining export momentum with New Zealand and result in prospering trade and investment relations between the two nation’s business communities.

New Zealand Minister of Trade Todd Michael McClay, agreed with Hoang’s assessment that the TPP would stimulate economic trade and cooperation between the two nations in a vast array of fields.

McClay also unveiled the planned launch of a new direct air route between Auckland and Ho Chi Minh City later this year by New Zealand Airlines that is expected to play an important role in enhanced trade between the two nations.