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Australia, Vietnam businesses promote post COVID cooperation

Established in 1996 and joined by hundreds of Australian businesses, over the past years the AVBC has carried out numerous activities to increase connectivity, exchanges and investment opportunities for Australian and Vietnamese businesses. Besides its headquarters in Sydney, the council has opened its offices in Queensland and Western Australia and set up a network of international businesses that are ready to capitalize on skills, technology, and innovation capacity for stronger business ties between the two countries.

The council serves as an important bridge to help eliminate cultural differences and promote understanding between the two countries’ business communities, thereby facilitating their business and trade links, said Laurence Strano AVBC President and founder.

In the coming years, he stated the AVBC will focus on promoting cooperation between businesses of the two countries in areas such as digital technology, emerging technology, digital transformation, education – training, business development, public relations and media, sports, health care, housing and commercial project development.

Addressing the ceremony, Nguyen Phu Hoa, Vietnamese Deputy Consul General in Sydney and Head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, noted economic ties between Vietnam and Australia have developed significantly over the years.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, two-way trade value hit over AUD10 billion (roughly US$8 billion) in 2020, increasing nearly 4% over the previous year, said Hoa.

In particular, he went on to say, the first three months of this year saw the bilateral trade value reach AUD3.4 billion, up 33.7% over the same period in 2020.

According to Hoa, Vietnam has signed 17 free trade agreements (FTAs) and joined many economic and trade cooperation frameworks with many countries and leading economic hubs in the world.

Investing in Vietnam, he said Australian businesses not only have the chance to access a market of nearly 100 million consumers, but also export their products to many parts of the world.

by en.vietnamplus.vn Leave a Comment

Australia-Vietnam Business Council celebrates 25th anniversary

Australia-Vietnam Business Council celebrates 25th anniversary hinh anh 1 The Australia – Vietnam Business Council (AVBC) hosts a 25th Anniversary Dinner at the Boulevard Hotel in Sydney on April 28. (Photo: VNA)

Sydney (VNA) – The Australia – Vietnam Business Council (AVBC) hosted a 25th Anniversary Dinner at the Boulevard Hotel in Sydney on April 28, where members and partners took part in matching activities and shared ideas, experience, and business opportunities.

In his welcoming remarks, AVBC President and Co-founder Laurence Strano said the celebrations not only look back on the council’s 25-year history but also reflect on the stronger-than-ever relations between Vietnam and Australia, contributed to by the business communities of both sides.

Discussing the AVBC’s history, Strano said that since its inception in 1996 it has contributed to connecting, exchanging, and promoting business and investment opportunities between Vietnamese and Australian companies. In addition to a headquarters in Sydney, it has two representative offices in the states of Queensland and Western Australia, he noted.

Vietnamese-Australians and AVBC members have helped bridge cultural differences and enhance mutual understanding between the two countries’ business communities, thereby facilitating and boosting bilateral trade, he added.

He also stated that the council will focus its efforts on beefing up cooperation between the two sides’ enterprises in the fields of digital technology, emerging technology, digital transformation, education, business development, public relations and media, sports, healthcare, housing, and commercial building development.

Australia-Vietnam Business Council celebrates 25th anniversary hinh anh 2 Deputy Consul General of Vietnam in Sydney Nguyen Phu Hoa speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Deputy Consul General of Vietnam in Sydney Nguyen Phu Hoa, for his part, highlighted Vietnam – Australia economic ties over recent years. Despite the impact of COVID-19, two-way trade rose nearly 4 percent to 10 billion AUD (about 8 billion USD) last year, said Hoa, who is also head of the Vietnamese Trade Office in Australia. In the first quarter of this year, Vietnam’s imports from Australia stood at 3.4 billion AUD, up 33.7 percent year-on-year.

Australian investors in Vietnam can not only access a market of nearly 100 million people but also other foreign markets, as the latter is now a member of 17 free trade agreements and has joined a number of economic and trade partnership frameworks with many foreign countries, he added.

Bui Viet Khoi from the Embassy of Vietnam in Australia said Vietnam has set a goal of becoming a high-income country by 2045 and to this end will need expertise, funding, and close cooperation from Australian businesses over the next 25 years.

He emphasised that the embassy will continue acting as a bridge to foster business partnerships and technology transfer between the two countries.

Vietnam and Australia will celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2023./.

VNA

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Vietnam files patent litigation for local rice varieties in Australia

Nguyen Phu Hoa, head of Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, said the agency has sent documents and photos to intellectual property (IP) officials Australia to clarify that the rice varieties named ST24, ST25 are developed in Vietnam by Ho Quang Cua.

According to intellectual property authority IP Australia, T&L Global Foods Supply PTY LTD on April 22 sought to register ‘Rice; Best Rice of the World’ trademarks for the two varieties.

It is the sixth company internationally – the other five are in the U.S. – to seek to appropriate ST25.

Both were developed in Vietnam by farmer-scientist Ho Quang Cua, with ST25 going on to win the first prize in the 2019 World’s Best Rice Contest held in the Philippines and ST24 the second prize in the 2017 contest in Macau.

“We ask IP authorities in Australia to consider the matter, and to avoid possible disputes that could affect ST24, ST25 rice exports from Vietnam to Australia.

“Relevant procedures to prove the rice varieties are Vietnamese need to be accelerated,” Hoa said.

Ngan Tran, director of Maygust Trademark Attorneys in the Australian capital Canberra, said it takes three to four months to carry out checks for a patent registration.

If an application meets all the requirements, the IP agency would issue a notice accepting the trademark and disclose the information enabling anyone with an objection to file within two months, she explained.

If there is no objection, the patent would be granted, she said.

Vietnam Trade Office in Australia also contacted T&L, which stated it would “check the matter with the brand department.”

Vietnam is also searching for a law firm in Australia to prepare the necessary steps, according to IP Australia regulations.

Ngan Tran said the trademark is protected by territory, so it does not mean it would be protected in other markets such as the U.S., Australia. Therefore, businesses need to actively apply for protection in specific countries.

Of the five applications for ST25 submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), only the one by I&T Enterprise Inc. has crossed the first stage.

Vietnam exported rice worth $4.7 million to Australia in Q1, a year-on-year increase of 66 percent, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

by vietnamnet.vn Leave a Comment

Vietnam moves to protect ST24, St25 rice trademarks in Australia

A representative of the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia has said the office is deploying emergency measures aimed at protecting Vietnamese rice trademarks

According to the Vietnam Trade Office, Australian firm T&L Global Foods Supply PTY LTD have recently filed an application regarding the trademark registration of both ST24 and ST25 rice. Relevant Australian agencies are in the process of reviewing the application, which is expected to take several months.

ST24 rice was recognised as the second best rice in the world, while ST25 rice was previously named as the best rice in the world at the World’s Best Rice contests in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Indeed, the two varieties were successfully cross-bred by Vietnamese engineer Ho Quang Cua and his colleagues.

Due to the application made by the Australian enterprise, the Vietnam Trade Office has moved to swiftly contact engineer Ho Quang Cua for joint co-operation in an attempt to protect the trademarks in Australia.

Nguyen Phu Hoa, head of the office, said that he has met the management of the Australian firm in order to exchange views on the case.

Most notably, the Australian business has shown goodwill and stated that they will soon examine the case, said Hoa.

The office has also sent an official dispatch accompanied by documents and pictures to the Australian Intellectual Property (IP Australia) in an effort to clarify that the two rice varieties are Vietnamese and they have also been granted trademark protection certificates in the country.

The Vietnamese side has therefore requested that IP Australia consider the matter in order to avoid possible disputes and influence on ST24 and ST25 rice exports from the nation to Australia.

At present, the Vietnam Trade Office is working with Australian lawyers as they prepare the next steps in line with IP Australia regulations.

Alongside Australia, four foreign firms have registered for ST25 rice trademark protection in the United States.

VOV

by hanoitimes.vn Leave a Comment

Vietnam protects its ST25 rice brand in Australia

Vietnam Trade Office in Australia is working with Australian authorities to protect Vietnamese brands abroad.

Upon the information that an Australia company is in the process of registering Vietnamese rice brands ST24 and ST25 in Australian market, Vietnam Trade Office in the country has proceeded with urgent measures to protect these two brands.

Vietnam’s ST25 rice wins the title of best rice in the world in 2019. File photo

According to Intellectual Property (IP) Australia, a local firm named T&L Global Foods Supply PTY Ltd has initiated the trademark registration process on April 22 for ST24 and ST25 rice varieties.

To protect these brands in overseas markets, Vietnam Trade Office in Australia has sent documents and facilitated information to IP Australia to make clear that ST24 and ST25 are generic plant varieties developed by Vietnamese citizen Ho Quang Cua along with a local group of scientists, and these two have been patented in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Head of the office Nguyen Phu Hoa has contacted with senior officials at T&L Global Foods Supply PTY Ltd, who said they would check on the situation.

ST25 rice, a type of Vietnam’s fragrant rice that won the title of best rice in the world in 2019, is currently sold widely in international markets, including Australia. Given the current situation, Vietnam Trade Office in Australia asked IP Australia to review the case thoroughly to avoid unnecessary legal dispute and cause negative impacts on the exports of ST24 and ST25 rice from Vietnam to Australia.

At present, the office is working with lawyers in Australia to proceed with next steps as required by IP Australia.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said in a worse-case scenario, the office would seek support from the network of Australian business community, associations and the press regarding the issue.

“The important point is that the office and Ho Quang Cua should speed up their own registration process in overseas markets, otherwise, sooner or later someone would make similar move,” noted the MoIT.

In late April five US firms have also apply for trademark registration of the ST25 rice band in the US market.

The incident related to ST25, unfortunately, is not a new one as similar story had happened in the past with trademark of Phu Quoc fish sauce, Trung Nguyen coffee or Ben Tre coconut candy all fell into the hands of foreigners.

From the experience of ST25 and other products, Head of the Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Vu Ba Phu called for local enterprises to have specialized strategy in protecting trademarks for their products, especially at Vietnam’s major markets.

In the first three months of 2021, Vietnam’s rice exports to Australia surged by 66% year-on-year to over US$4.7 million.

by e.vnexpress.net Leave a Comment

Vietnam protests attempts to trademark local rice varieties in Australia

Nguyen Phu Hoa, head of Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, said the agency has sent documents and photos to clarify that the rice varieties named ST24, ST25 are developed in Vietnam by Ho Quang Cua.

According to IP Australia, a company called T&L Global Foods Supply Pty Ltd. submitted an application on April 22 to register “Rice; and “Best Rice of the World” trademarks for the two varieties.

It is the sixth company internationally – the other five being in the U.S. – that is trying to appropriate the ST25 trademark.

Both the ST24 and ST25 rice varieties were developed in Vietnam by farmer-scientist Ho Quang Cua, with the latter going on to win the first prize in the 2019 World’s Best Rice Contest held in the Philippines and the former the second prize in a 2017 contest in Macau.

“We have asked IP authorities in Australia to consider the matter and avoid possible disputes that could affect the export of ST24, ST25 rice varieties from Vietnam to Australia.

“Relevant procedures to prove the rice varieties are Vietnamese need to be accelerated,” Hoa said.

Ngan Tran, director of Maygust Trademark Attorneys in the Australian capital Canberra, said it takes three to four months to carry out checks for a patent registration.

If an application meets all the requirements, the IP agency would issue a notice accepting the trademark and disclose the information. After this happens, an objection can be filed within two months, she said.

If there is no objection, the patent would be granted, she added.

The Vietnam Trade Office in Australia has also contacted the T&L company, which has said it would “check the matter with the brand department.”

Vietnam is also looking to appoint a law firm in Australia to prepare necessary steps under IP Australia regulations to counter moves to takeover Vietnamese trademarks.

Ngan Tran said the trademark is protected by territory, so it does not mean it would be protected in other markets such as the U.S. and Australia. Therefore, businesses need to actively apply for protection in specific countries.

Of the five applications for ST25 submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), only one by I&T Enterprise Inc. has crossed the first stage so far.

Vietnam exported rice worth $4.7 million to Australia in Q1, a year-on-year increase of 66 percent, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.