Aug 14, 2026
New Zealand has secured export access to Vietnam for farmed venison and for deer velvet, the latter in both frozen and dried forms, opening a significant new market opportunity for the country’s farmed deer industry.
The new access, negotiated by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) with Vietnamese authorities, was formally announced in Auckland yesterday as part of a ceremony of bilateral deliverables during a State visit by Vietnamese President and Party General Secretary, His Excellency To Lam. The ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.
The agreement provides access for New Zealand farmed venison and deer velvet into one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing economies and adds an important new market for the deer industry as it seeks to diversify its export portfolio.
Vietnam is viewed as a particularly promising market for New Zealand velvet, with longstanding consumer familiarity with traditional health and wellness products and cultural influences shared over centuries with neighbouring China. The market complements New Zealand’s established velvet trade into South Korea and China, creating a broader and more resilient platform for long-term growth.
Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) Chief Executive Rhys Griffiths said the outcome was an important achievement for the industry.
“This is a significant milestone for the deer industry. Vietnam is an exciting new market with strong economic growth, an increasing number of affluent consumers, and an established understanding of the health and wellness attributes associated with deer velvet.”
“For velvet in particular, this gives New Zealand another important leg to its export mix alongside South Korea and China. Market diversification is critical to maintaining competitive tension across markets and creating greater resilience for farmers and exporters.”
“We also want to acknowledge and thank MPI for its focused work and strong engagement with their Vietnamese counterparts. Securing this access has been a priority for our industry, and we appreciate the pace at which MPI has progressed the negotiations.”
From an exploratory visit to Vietnam by DINZ in October 2025 to the formal announcement of market access in August 2026, the process moved at remarkable speed by international market access standards. Following a Vietnamese inspection visit to New Zealand in March and subsequent technical negotiations between officials, approval was achieved in under 12 months.
The outcome highlights the strong commitment of both countries to advancing mutually beneficial trade opportunities and reflects the momentum generated by the New Zealand-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2025, which committed both nations to deepening trade and economic cooperation.
For venison exporters, access will require individual premises to be approved by Vietnam prior to export. MPI has coordinated listing applications from eight eligible New Zealand slaughter and processing facilities and has advised DINZ that Vietnamese authorities are actively reviewing those applications with a view to progressing approvals as quickly as possible.
Reportedly, there is no equivalent premises listing requirement for companies exporting deer velvet.
MPI has also advised that it intends to update the Vietnam Overseas Market Access Requirements (OMAR) and enable the use of the relevant export certificates for venison and velvet as soon as possible following the high-level visit.
DINZ Markets Manager Terry Meikle said securing access is an important step forward that broadens market options for the industry and positions the New Zealand farmed deer industry to capture future growth opportunities in Vietnam.
“Vietnam already understands velvet products and their health and wellness attributes. The opportunity now is for Vietnamese manufacturers and marketers to source New Zealand velvet as an ingredient for locally formulated products tailored to domestic consumer demand.”
“Vietnam’s growing middle and upper-income consumer base, combined with existing familiarity with velvet products, makes it a market with genuine long-term potential.”
For media enquiries, contact DINZ Communications Manager Cameron Frecklington at cameron.frecklington@deernz.org
