Practical training strengthened to boost online export capabilities

According to forecasts by Precedence Research, the global cross-border e-commerce market was estimated at 551.23 billion USD in 2025 and could exceed 2.006 trillion USD by 2034. Business Research Insights also projects that the market will reach 1.33979 trillion USD in 2026 and 4.30255 trillion USD by 2035, with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for 44% of the market.

The rapid growth of online exports is transforming the way goods reach international markets. In the European Union (EU), imports of low-value parcels worth less than 150 EUR reached approximately 5.8 billion consignments in 2025, an increase of more than 25% compared with 2024.

In the US, imports of small parcels valued at less than 800 USD under the De Minimis duty exemption exceeded 1.36 billion consignments in fiscal year 2024, ten times the figure recorded in 2015. The growing volume of transactions has also brought increasingly demanding requirements for logistics, customs procedures and market management.

China is among the countries with a highly developed cross-border e-commerce ecosystem. In 2025, its total cross-border e-commerce import-export turnover reached 2.75 trillion RMB, equivalent to approximately 409.5 billion USD, with online exports accounting for 79%.

Diverse models for businesses to choose from

In Viet Nam, figures released at the 2025 Cross-Border E-Commerce Forum showed that exports through e-commerce were estimated to have grown by 78% in 2025, bringing the total value of imports and exports through this channel to approximately 4.45 billion USD.

These figures indicate that considerable potential remains for expanding online exports. However, to turn opportunities into actual orders and sustainable market access, Vietnamese enterprises need more than the ability to use digital platforms. They must also understand regulations in importing markets, standardise their products, organise logistics operations and gradually establish their brands overseas.

The cross-border e-commerce ecosystem is becoming increasingly diverse, encompassing international online marketplaces, business-to-business (B2B) platforms, direct-to-consumer websites, and models combining digital content, livestreaming and warehousing facilities in destination markets.

Through international marketplaces, enterprises can list their products, select target markets and meet relevant requirements concerning products, taxation and quality. Some platforms also provide warehousing, order fulfilment and cross-border distribution services.

In Asia, platforms such as Shopee have developed solutions to help sellers expand their operations into multiple markets. Meanwhile, Alibaba.com focuses on the B2B model, connecting exporters with importers, distributors and corporate customers. Content-driven e-commerce models such as TikTok Shop offer additional ways to reach customers through short videos, livestreaming and locally tailored content.

The choice of business model depends on each enterprise's products, target markets and operational capabilities. More importantly, enterprises must gradually gain control over the entire process, from market access and sales to logistics and customer service.

Le Hoang Oanh, Director General of the Viet Nam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said Vietnamese enterprises still have considerable untapped potential to reach international consumers through e-commerce.

However, Oanh noted that e-commerce is merely a means of bringing products to market more quickly. To achieve sustainable growth, enterprises must make comprehensive preparations in terms of product quality, digital capabilities, product development, operational processes and branding. "Whether through e-commerce or discovery commerce, product quality remains the decisive factor. For sustainable and reliable growth, quality must always come first," Oanh emphasised.

This requirement also applies to business support programmes. Rather than simply providing general knowledge about digital platforms, training should be tailored to the practical requirements of individual markets, business models and stages of the export supply chain.

From training to hands-on experience in international markets

In recent years, the Viet Nam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency has focused on helping enterprises and localities strengthen their online export capabilities by combining training on policies and regulations with practical instruction, market surveys and direct connections among stakeholders in the e-commerce ecosystem. Domestically, the agency has organised training programmes and workshops in numerous localities, helping enterprises, cooperatives and household businesses adopt e-commerce solutions. These activities cover the establishment of online stores, digital marketing, electronic payments, order management and product promotion, with the ultimate aim of facilitating online exports.

Notably, training activities are increasingly being extended directly to overseas markets. Recently, the Viet Nam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency and the E-Commerce and Digital Technology Development Centre (EcomDX), in cooperation with the Alliance for Global Cross-Border E-Commerce (ACBC) and domestic and international partners, organised a training, market survey and business-matching programme on cross-border e-commerce in Henan Province, China.

The programme went beyond providing knowledge of international policies and regulations. It enabled participating enterprises to gain first-hand experience of the cross-border e-commerce ecosystem, explore distribution models, logistics operations, bonded warehouses and livestreaming activities, and establish connections with Chinese e-commerce businesses.

The delegation visited the Wanbang Imported Agricultural Products Distribution Centre and the Dazhang supermarket chain, and examined railway logistics infrastructure supporting cross-border e-commerce exports from Viet Nam to China and onwards to Europe and Russia. The participants explored bonded warehouse operations in the Zhengzhou Free Trade Zone (FTZ), as well as livestreaming studios and short-form video production facilities.

These activities gave enterprises practical insights into market demand, regulatory requirements, operational models and supply chains. Such experience also provides a basis for businesses to refine their products, packaging and labelling, develop online stores and prepare appropriate logistics arrangements for online exports.

Beyond market surveys, participating enterprises were connected with importers, e-commerce operators, logistics providers and other partners within China's cross-border e-commerce ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the Viet Nam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency and EcomDX plan to continue organising cross-border e-commerce training courses in Viet Nam, while expanding training, market survey and direct business-matching programmes in major markets such as China, the European Union, the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

The focus will be on strengthening enterprises' access to market information, improving operational skills, standardising products and connecting Vietnamese businesses with international platforms and partners in the global cross-border e-commerce ecosystem.

By combining classroom-based training with first-hand market experience, this approach aims to equip Vietnamese enterprises with the capabilities needed to export online, diversify channels for bringing Vietnamese products to international markets and make more effective use of the opportunities offered by cross-border e-commerce.