News & Events
ICE LOFT attending the Vietnam - Belgium Business Round Table
On the 8th and the 9th of September 2021, Belgium was visited by the President of the Vietnamese National Assembly – his Excellency Vuong Dinh Hue. ICE LOFT was honored to be invited to the Vietnam-Belgium Business Round Table to meet with a delegation of high-ranking Vietnamese officials, including the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Minister of Planning and Investment, and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and both Belgian and Vietnamese business delegations.
The goal of the Round Table Discussion was to highlight business potentials and opportunities between Vietnamese and Belgian enterprises. The Round Table Discussion also allowed for an update on the implementation process of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), one year after the agreement has come into force. Vietnam affirmed its determination to implement its commitments and its wills to closely coordinate the implementation of EVFTA with the EU.
In the Round Table Discussion, the Vietnamese delegation expressed its appreciation for the close cooperation with Belgium and the Belgian support. Over the past years, Belgian enterprises have introduced many advanced technological solutions and modern management systems, contributing to Vietnam’s development.
With its special geographical position, Belgium is considered as one of the strategic gateways to the EU. Through Belgium, Vietnam can export its important products such as textiles, seafood and agricultural products. The EVFTA Agreement will positively impact trade in both Belgium and Vietnam if the EU commits to eliminate import taxes on 99.2% of the tariff lines (equivalent to a 99.7% turnover of Vietnam's export to the EU).
During the Round Table Discussion, Ice Loft had the chance to highlight the potentials of Vietnamese agricultural products in the European market. The company also showed its ambitions in improving the cold logistics infrastructure for fruits along the strategic route between the Mekong Delta and the Cai Mep Ha port. This logistic corridor that Ice Loft aims to develop will eventually increase the export volume of Vietnamese fruits to Europe and give Vietnamese farmers a more secure income. The cold cabin system starting from the farms will also bring more European and Middle East’s clients to the Vietnamese farmers, generating better revenues than the sales to the neighboring countries.
Ice Loft also mentioned the coordination with a consortium of two consultants, (i.e. IAE-CMB) to conduct a study funded by the European Commission on the feasibility of the Smart Cold Logistics Chain from the Mekong to the Cai Mep Ha port. The company also expressed its appreciation to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and FINEXPO in supporting Ice Loft to demonstrate the first Smart Cold Cabin in the Tra Vinh province.
The Covid situation in Vietnam is currently quite severe due to the increasing number of infections and a shortage of vaccines. However, with the support and facilitation of the provincial government in Tra Vinh, the site preparation is being implemented and the erection of Smart Cold Cabin hopefully shall commence in November as planned.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the Smart Cold Cabin Project 12/10/2020
On October 12th, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Smart Cold Cabin Demonstration Project was organized together with the People's Committee of Tra Vinh province and Green Startup Foundation in Binh Phu commune, Cang Long district, Tra Vinh Province.
The ceremony was attended by Mr. Tran Tri Dung - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tra Vinh province; Mr. Le Van Han- Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tra Vinh province; Mr. Vo Thanh Thong - Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment and together with the representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government Office, Central Economic Committee, and other local departments. Four hundred (400) farmer households directly involved in the project were also present at the ceremony.
According to Mr. Vo Thanh Thong – Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, the Smart Cold Cabin Demonstration project is a pioneering, timely and strategic action for the development of a sustainable agricultural economy. The project will contribute to improving the life, competitiveness, and production for local farmers, which is very commendable and worth extrapolating.
The announcement of this demonstration project marked the first step in implementing the plan of ICE LOFT in building a chain of Smart Cold Cabins in the provinces in the Mekong Delta. These Cabins use IoT technology (internet of things) to regulate and monitor the environment of preservation through remote control. At the same time, it automatically registers the product details and maintains the quality of the agricultural products for a long time in order to meet the export standards. It also helps customers easily trace the product origins and assist farmers in managing their growing areas.
Below are some images of the groundbreaking ceremony:
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Local Smart Cold Cabin Demonstration Project in Vietnam
The Local Smart Cold Cabin Demonstration Project has recently been launched since the 1st of July. In this project, Ice-Loft receives the support Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in building and testing the first Local Smart Cold Cabin model nearby the pre-selected fruit farms in Tra Vinh province. These cabins will use an Internet of Things technology, namely Smart Thermo Controller (STC), to help local farmers preserve their harvested fruit before transporting them to the local processing zone.
The introduction of the Smart Cold Cabin initiative is the first important stepping-stone that will lead to the full realization of ICE-LOFT’s Smart Cold Chain Model. The Model aims to facilitate the seamless transportation of fruit and vegetables from the production point to the transshipment point in the Cai Mep Ha port of the South Vietnam, using the developed inland waterway network of the Mekong Delta. The Cai Mep Ha port is becoming the biggest port in Vietnam that is capable of handle 20,000 TEU container vessels. From there, the fruits will be exported to the advantageous market of Europe, Middle East, and America. The STC technology will be implemented in this Model to maintain the quality of the harvested fruit in the required standard environment throughout the international shipment.
(Photo by Ms. Hien – Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam)
EVFTA officially comes into force in August 2020
The European Commission has recently announced that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which was signed on the 30th June 2019, is officially coming into force on the 1st August 2020. The key aspects of this agreement are the facilitation of European – Vietnamese trade relations, the reduction of tax on Vietnamese goods exported to the EU, and on European products exported to Vietnam. Approximately, 65 percent of EU exports to Vietnam and around 71 percent of EU imports from Vietnam will be exempted from customs duty immediately.
With a foreign trade volume of about US$ 56.45 billion in 2019, the EU is currently among Vietnam’s largest trading partners and Vietnam is the EU’s second most important trading partner among all the ASEAN members. Once this agreement enters into force, it will create a great competitive advantage for Vietnamese products compared to other competitors such as China and other ASEAN countries. The agreement will also play as a lever for the economic growth of Vietnam. At the same time, it will open many opportunities for European products to access the Vietnamese market – the market that is becoming increasingly relevant to the EU.
Taking advantage of this momentum, Ice-Loft has been well on its way to develop and implement the Smart Cold Chain model - a method to improve the cold logistics of fruit and vegetables across the South of Vietnam for the exportation from Cai Mep port to Europe. With this innovative Model, Ice-Loft has the ambition to promote together with the Vietnamese government, fruit and vegetable products from Vietnam further into the European market.
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Demonstrated image source
23rd GCCA European Cold Chain Conference
The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) will host the 23rd European Cold Chain Conference 18-20 March 2020 at the Hilton Rotterdam. Over 120 cold chain professionals representing temperature controlled third-party logistics, warehousing, transportation, technology, equipment, distribution and construction are expected to attend.
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Trà Vinh Investment Promotion Conference on January 15 2020
Trà Vinh celebrates 120th anniversary of establishment
Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc applauded Mekong Delta Trà Vinh Province for its socio-economic development while addressing a ceremony held on Tuesday to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the province’s establishment.
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India Cold Chain Show defines and demonstrates the entire cold chain industry.
Cold Chain Global Forum
25 February 2020
Integrating Process and Technology to Create Fit-for-Purpose Temperature-Controlled Supply Chains
25-27 February 2020
San Diego, CA, USA
