The six-day institutional tour that the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has conducted in Vietnam and Singapore from July 25 to 30 has resulted in several economic and business agreements between Catalan institutions and Asian partners.
Among them, the agreement signed in Hanoi by the Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) stands out to promote trade and collaboration between companies from both territories. During the signing of the agreement, Josep Santacreu, president of the Cambra, emphasized the sustained growth of the Vietnamese economy, the stability of the country, and its strategic position in one of the most dynamic regions in the world.
Vietnam has established itself as one of the main gateways to Southeast Asia for many Catalan companies. At the same time, more and more Vietnamese companies see Barcelona as an attractive platform to access the Spanish and European markets.
According to data released by the Generalitat during the trip, 1,274 Catalan companies regularly export to Southeast Asia, especially to markets like Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia. Catalan sales to the region have doubled in the last decade and reached 1,647.8 million euros in 2025. In the case of Vietnam, Catalan exports grew by 11.1% last year and represent 37.6% of all Spanish exports to this market.
With more than 100 million inhabitants, Vietnam combines strong economic growth with increasing industrial and consumption capacity. The country has established itself as one of the major manufacturing centers in Asia and also benefits from the boost of the trade agreement between the European Union and Vietnam, in force since 2020, which has boosted exchanges between both parties.
The agenda of the trip also included the signing of an agreement between ACCIÓ, the Generalitat’s agency for the competitiveness and internationalization of Catalan companies, and the Vietnam National Innovation Center to promote joint projects between companies, universities, and research centers.
Another issue addressed was the improvement of air connections between Catalonia and Vietnam. The president met with officials from Vietnam Airlines to explore a possible direct route between Barcelona and Hanoi. As he explained, around 50,000 people already make this journey each year via connecting flights.
The tour also included visits to the Catalan companies Simon, Relats, and Tucai in Vietnam, as well as meetings with various authorities in the country, including Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc.
The last stop of the tour was Singapore. There, Salvador Illa held a meeting with the Prime Minister, Lawrence Wong, focused on investments, innovation, air connections, and port collaboration. They also discussed public housing, one of the areas in which Singapore is often cited as an example, as nearly 80% of the resident population lives in public housing.
