Chairman of Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee receives Mayor of Port Hedland (Australia) and Austvina Group

On the morning of July 22, Mr. Tran Duy Dong, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee, chaired a meeting with Mr. Peter Carter, Mayor and Chairman of Port Hedland City, Western Australia, along with leaders of Austvina Group.

Accompanying the delegation were Mr. Peter Carter, Mayor and Chairman of the Port Hedland city area, Western Australia; Mr. Mohamed Samir, General Director of Austvina Group; and Ms. Dinh Thi Hieu Hien, CEO of Austvina Group.

Chairman Tran Duy Dong presents a bronze drum symbol to Mayor Peter Carter during their meeting.

During the meeting, Mayor Peter Carter introduced the Australian market, Port Hedland City, Austvina Group, and the investment needs of Australian enterprises, including Austvina and its partners. Port Hedland, located 1,800 km from Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is a strategic city within the region.

Mining is the city’s leading employment sector, followed by construction, transportation, postal services, and warehousing. Notably, Port Hedland is home to one of the world’s largest iron ore loading ports, handling hundreds of millions of tons of goods annually and significantly contributing to Australia’s economy.

Austvina Group is comprised of seven companies operating in fields such as investment, immigration services, financial consulting, labor recruitment, and real estate. The group maintains representative offices in Sydney (Australia), Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi (Vietnam), and Dubai (UAE).

Working session between Phu Tho province and the Australian delegation.

Mayor Carter expressed his admiration for the green and clean environment of Phu Tho province and noted that Port Hedland is a leading exporter of renewable energy, helping to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. He also highlighted the 11 existing trade agreements between Australia and Vietnam, emphasizing the growing opportunities for bilateral trade and export.

Chairman Tran Duy Dong extended his appreciation to Mayor Carter and Austvina Group’s leadership for visiting Phu Tho. He provided an overview of the province’s socio-economic development, investment climate, environmental strengths, and policies aimed at attracting foreign investment. The two sides discussed potential cooperation in sectors such as industry, commerce, services, tourism, education, and human resource training. Chairman Dong also shared strategic orientations to promote Australian investment and enhance bilateral trade with Phu Tho.

Leaders of Phu Tho province, Port Hedland City, and Austvina Group take a photo.

Chairman Dong emphasized that following the recent administrative merger, Phu Tho now boasts vast development potential, particularly in manufacturing and exporting electronic components, motorbikes, and automobiles. In the first six months of 2025, the province recorded an import-export turnover of over USD 34 billion, including USD 40 million in exports to Australia, primarily wood products and garments.

He identified significant opportunities for collaboration in renewable energy, particularly in establishing factories that manufacture components for hydropower, wind turbines, and solar panels. He also noted Phu Tho’s potential in resort tourism development.

The chairman proposed strengthening connections with businesses from Port Hedland and Australia at large to foster expanded cooperation in Phu Tho. He suggested continued partnerships in exporting products such as wood, motorcycle spare parts, footwear, apparel, textiles and garment materials, stone and plaster items, and possibly other products like tea and ceramic tiles. He also called for the promotion of Phu Tho’s destinations and tourism offerings in the Australian market.

Further cooperation between travel agencies on both sides was encouraged, with the aim of expanding tourism markets for Phu Tho, particularly in niche sectors such as ecotourism, golf tourism, experiential tourism, cultural and historical tourism, and spiritual tourism.

Dinh Vu