ROSEMONT, Ill. – The International Housewares Association is planning a trade mission to Vietnam next month to help its members discover alternatives to sourcing in China.
The trip to Ho Chi Minh City is slated for June 9-11 and will include private factory tours and one-on-one meetings with potential partners, the IHA said. It is currently available for a limited number of companies.
IHA is partnering on the trip with Vietnam B2B Direct, who will review the product and material requirements of participating companies and supply a list of factories equipped to handle them. Attendees can then select which factories they wish to visit.
“While IHA has organized trade missions to different countries over the years, this sourcing mission comes at a critical time and provides a unique opportunity for member companies to discover new sourcing options,” said IHA President and CEO Derek Miller.
On Monday, the United States and China agreed to sharply reduce tariffs and pause retaliatory measures. U.S. levies will fall to 30% from 145%, while China’s corresponding tariffs on U.S. imports will be cut to 10% from their earlier level of 125%. Many of the details still need to be worked out, however.
Trip prep
Companies going on the trip will receive pre-mission preparation for individual factory visits, a daily schedule, transportation, local support from an English/Vietnamese-speaking sourcing specialist and post-event factory reports to facilitate next steps. A welcome meeting and meals are included.
Companies interested in learning more about the upcoming Vietnam trade mission can contact Lori Szurdarek, IHA senior manager, international buyer and member relations.
IHA is also working to schedule another sourcing trip to India in October. In addition to the Vietnam trips, other recent missions included sales-oriented visits to Mexico City, and London. It hosted trips to Vietnam in the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024.
In addition, a webinar featuring industry veteran Luke Peters on proven tariff mitigation strategies, will be held on May 14.
IHA also partnered with Quickcode to provide discounted access to their AI-powered tariff compliance software and developed a digital advocacy campaign to connect U.S. housewares suppliers with congressional representatives about tariff concerns.
