On August 25, C.P. Vietnam sent out to Korea the first lot of processed chicken as Vietnamese-origin. A ceremony was held in Dong Nai province, and the company became the first Vietnamese company to enter the Korean market with this item. The move by the company, which has already shipped chicken to eight markets including Japan, marks a turning point in which Vietnamese livestock steps up from "live chicken and frozen whole bodies" to "seasoned, ready-cooked processed goods." For Japanese meat buyers and sourcing staff in prepared-foods and foodservice too, it becomes material for measuring a supply source's capability.
A first for Vietnam: processed chicken crosses to Korea
The exporter is C.P. Vietnam. Its production base is the CPV Food integrated complex in Binh Phuoc province, an "integrated production" base that combines a feed plant, hatchery, farm, poultry processing plant and processing plant into one. Total investment is about 250 million dollars. Vietnam and Korea formally opened the processed-chicken market on April 22, 2026, starting initially with a slot allowing two companies from each country to export. C.P. Vietnam put itself forward as the first of these.
At the ceremony, Duong Tat Thang, the responsible director-general of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said "we expect even more qualified companies to enter going forward," and the agricultural attache of the Korean embassy called it "an event that symbolizes the friendship between the two countries."
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Company | C.P. Vietnam (Vietnam's first export of processed chicken to South Korea) |
| First shipment | August 25, 2026; ceremony held in Dong Nai province |
| Production base | CPV Food integrated complex in Binh Phuoc province (investment of about US$250 million) |
| Market opening | April 22, 2026; initially two companies per country |
| Existing export destinations | Eight markets including Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Russia |
The significance of moving up from "raw product" to "processed"
Chicken exports differ enormously in difficulty between the stage of live or frozen raw product and the stage of seasoned, heat-cooked processed goods. Processed products face strict hygiene, traceability and heat-treatment standards, and importing countries' reviews are demanding. Clearing those hurdles at an integrated production base and being the first to enter a market as demanding as South Korea is proof that the processing capability of Vietnam's livestock industry is beginning to reach international standards. Vertical integration, in which a single company controls everything from feed to processing, De Heus and Hung Nhon, which are advancing a Halal-certified high-tech chicken processing plant in Tay Ninh province overlaps with this move and confirms that Vietnam's chicken industry is shifting from "cheap raw-material supply" to "processed exports."
What it means for Japan's meat procurement and prepared-food sector
C.P. Vietnam already ships chicken to Japan as well. This export of processed products to South Korea means the same base could also strengthen its capacity to supply cooked, seasoned chicken for Japan. With domestic chicken prices and labor shortages, more prepared-food and foodservice operators are looking overseas for primary processing such as seasoning and cutting. Vietnam's integrated production bases can serve as a destination for that demand.
The pattern of "Japan after South Korea" is not limited to livestock. Lam Dong's cacao, which is using its track record of exports to South Korea as a stepping stone to target Japan As with that example, the sequence of first building a track record in a demanding neighboring market and then moving on to Japan is becoming a standard playbook for Vietnamese products entering Japan. Japanese buyers can use a track record with South Korea or Europe as a "yardstick for Japan-readiness."
Checkpoints for procurement decisions
- Check whether production is integrated (feed through processing). Vertical integration is advantageous for traceability and stable supply.
- The hygiene standards required differ by degree of processing (seasoning, heating, cutting). Determine whether the line fits your own use.
- In the early stage of market opening, the number of companies permitted to export is limited. Secure available supply quotas early.
The map of the chicken trade is being redrawn
In Asia's chicken trade, Thailand and Brazil have reigned as major exporting powers. Vietnam was long "centered on domestic consumption and imports," with limited exports of processed chicken. This export to South Korea drives a wedge into that structure. The growth of large integrated bases covering feed through processing, now able to pass the reviews of demanding markets, is proof that Vietnam has entered a transition from "net chicken importer" to "exporter of processed chicken." For Japan, it means one more option among procurement sources. When supply from a particular country thins due to avian influenza or exchange rates, whether procurement can be diversified across several countries determines the stable operation of prepared-food and foodservice businesses. A realistic second pillar, Vietnam, is being added to the procurement of seasoned and pre-cut chicken that has depended on Thailand alone.
Summary
Vietnam's first processed chicken has reached South Korea. The fact that a base controlling everything from feed to processing was the first to enter a demanding market shows that the processing capability of Vietnam's livestock industry has risen a notch. For Japan's meat and prepared-food procurement, it merits attention as a sign that the same supplier could expand its supply of cooked chicken to Japan.
Sources
Nong nghiep & Moi truong, "Xuat khau lo thit ga che bien dau tien sang Han Quoc" (August 26, 2026)
https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/xuat-khau-lo-thit-ga-che-bien-dau-tien-sang-han-quoc-d828096.html
