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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Exporting and importing relationship growth between the Mahoning Valley and Vietnam started recently, but the seeds were planted five years ago.
A Vietnamese delegation is touring the region this week, and organizers hope the visit generates more partnerships that benefit the Valley and Vietnam. An opening ceremony Monday at Youngstown State University’s Williamson College of Business Administration kicked off the tour.
“Our Vietnamese companies would like to look for opportunities, partners for export and import, seafood, agricultures and some would like to learn about energy renewable,” said Tran Ngoc Dao, vice director of the international relations department with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City branch.
Also greeting the Vietnam delegation were Clark Bihag, deputy district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration; as well as Lyle Huffman, vice president of regional affairs at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, who said the chamber is eager to work with companies to expand opportunities for manufacturers and other companies in the region. They also got a greeting from Penny Traina, executive director of the Columbiana County Port Authority, who traveled to Vietnam in 2019.
Dao said some are interested in high tech and construction and are hoping to learn from their partners in the United States. She believes the relationship between the two countries is mutually beneficial.
“Vietnam and the U.S. share a rich history,” Dao said, “and our partnership is continuously evolving, from the normalization of the diplomatic relationship in 1995, through the comprehensive partnership in 2013 and now with the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023,. All the positive effect on the bilateral relation between the two countries continue to develop in their own aspect, especially in trade and investment cooperation.”
Tran Ngoc Dao, vice director of international relations department with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City branch, is among those who are seeking business connections in the Mahoning Valley.
When a local delegation from the Ohio Pennsylvania Stateline Export Initiative visited in 2019, Dao said the local college in Ho Chi Minh welcomed them as well. That visit has been productive despite setbacks caused by the pandemic. Imports between the two countries, and especially in Ohio, has reached an all-time high.
“Since then, we have built a huge relationship with them,” said Mousa Kassis, the director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center’s Export Assistance Network at YSU. “This year, 2023 Vietnam and Ohio trade has hit $4.7 billion, which was a record year. The United States trade hit $126 billion, and that’s doubled since 2019.”
Kassis added that Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus now sees more trade from Vietnam than China.
The U.S. and Vietnam sell machinery and plastics to each other. The U.S exports woven fabric, medical equipment and electronics to Vietnam, while importing rubber and steel.
“So we see a huge potential for companies already buying and selling with Vietnam,” Kassis said. “The potential is great, and the momentum is building and the trend is up.”
New trade agreements and the ability to overcome language barriers by translation through technology is opening more doors to diversify the economy throughout the world, according to Kassis.
During the four days they are in the Valley, the Vietnam delegation will not only meet with business leaders at YSU, but will visit mostly manufacturing companies in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. Business leaders and municipal leaders attended the welcome ceremony at YSU, which was led by Mariah Hauser, the international trade specialist with the Export Assistance Network.
Mousa Kassis, the director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center’s Export Assistance Network at YSU, welcomes the delegation Monday.
“We’re very proud of all the work that Mousa [Kassis] and Mariah [Hauser] do in building partnerships in our community, as well as around the globe,” said Betty Jo Licata, interim dean of the Williamson College of Business. “And we welcome all of you here today and hope you will have a wonderful opportunity in getting to know our business community, our university community and some of our students who will be joining you throughout the week.”
During the welcome ceremony Monday, the business leaders heard from YSU student Bao Lien Huynh, who represented one of the 22 Vietnamese students attending the Williamson College of Business, where she majors in accounting, as well as a number of others on campus.
Huynh said she found the people at YSU welcoming and supportive and her classes professional, and she has become more confident while developing her talents. She has learned about the diverse culture in the U.S. and the importance of giving back to the community through volunteering.
“I hope the school will have more Vietnamese students in the future,” she said, “and we hope you enjoy your time at YSU and in the United States.”
Lai Nguyen, chairwoman and CEO at Vinatoken, a diverse company that offers nonwoven fabrics for manufacturing, medical supplies and wet wipes, was among the contingent of visitors. She handed out business cards and used the opportunity to meet people. She is also interested in renewable energy.
YSU student Bao Lien Huynh welcomes the delegation from her home country of Vietnam.
She has come to the U.S. several times and has some smaller connections.
“I want to develop in the U.S. market,” Nguyen said, adding she would like to find larger companies to partner with on this trip, which is her first to Ohio.
Alexa Sweeney Blackann, the interim CEO of Lake to River Economic Development, was also among those welcoming the group, noting “this visit is more than just a tour – it’s a beginning of a conversation.” She added she hopes it will lead to relationships and prosperity for both regions.
“Throughout your time here you will see, and hopefully be impressed with, a broad range of industries and expertise that drive our success,” Blackann said. “What makes our region unique is not just our strategic location – sitting within a day’s drive of more than half the U.S. and Canadians markets – but also our strong legacy of manufacturing and logistics.”
Pictured at top: The delegation from Vietnam includes business leaders and the Ho Chi Minh chamber, who are all here to tour Mahoning Valley manufacturing plants, create partnerships and make mutually beneficial importing and exporting opportunities.
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