To effectively tap into the multi-trillion-dollar global Halal food market, Vietnamese enterprises must overcome hurdles regarding certification, raw material sourcing and supply chain organisation while meeting the specific technical standards required by each importing nation.
Unlocking multi-trillion-dollar opportunities
India-based Zion Market Research reported that the global Halal food market was valued at over 2.3 trillion USD in 2022 and is projected to surpass 4 trillion USD by 2030, growing at a compound annual rate of 7.7%. Le Anh Ngoc, head of the quality and conformity assessment division under the National Authority for Agro-Forestry-Fishery Quality, Processing and Market Development at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said Vietnam has strong advantages because of its proximity to large Muslim-majority markets. Muslims account for roughly 42% of the population in Southeast Asia alone. Vietnamese staples such as rice, tea, coffee, cashews, pepper and seafood fit Islamic dietary requirements.
Indonesia and Malaysia remain the main regional gateways. Indonesia's Halal market spending reached 330.5 billion USD in 2025, making it the world's largest consumer of Halal food and beverages. Dairy products, snacks, dried noodles and fishery products have strong potential for Vietnamese exports, said Trade Counsellor Pham The Cuong at the Vietnam Trade Office in Indonesia. Malaysia imports more than 20 billion USD worth of Halal food annually and ranks among the top buyers within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The Middle East is another major destination. In the United Arab Emirates, where 80% of agricultural products are imported, agri-food imports exceeded 16 billion USD in 2025. The Vietnam, UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement took effect in February 2026, strengthening Vietnamese exporters' position in the Gulf. The UAE is also an important logistics gateway for Vietnamese agricultural products entering other Middle Eastern markets, said Tran Tan Sy, CEO of the Vietnam Food Pavilion in the UAE.
Certification and logistics bottlenecks
Vietnam's market share remains modest. National Authority data shows that only 1,000 to 1,300 Vietnamese businesses held active Halal certificates between 2024 and 2026, representing 0.2% of all active enterprises nationwide. Industry representatives identify certification as the main bottleneck because each importing country operates its own accreditation system. Known systems include Malaysia's JAKIM, Indonesia's BPJPH, Saudi Arabia's SFDA and the UAE's MoIAT/ESMA, explained Ba Thi Nguyet Thu, director of the HalalViet Promotion and Experience Centre.
High maintenance fees and evaluations lasting from six to 12 months create difficulties for most small and medium-sized enterprises. Strict rules on cross-contamination during harvesting, warehousing, packaging and transportation, combined with Vietnam's lack of dedicated Halal logistics infrastructure, increase the risk of customs rejection at destination ports, Thu said. She urged businesses to build closed-loop Halal value chains covering raw material zones, processing, logistics and distribution, improve traceability and strengthen cooperation with international Halal organisations to establish mutual recognition agreements. Entering the global Halal market requires a long-term strategy. Combining compliance with targeted product development could help Vietnamese enterprises improve adaptability, build international credibility and strengthen their position in the global Halal food supply chain.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
