TRABACO Elevating Vietnam Coconut Industry to Global Stage

Tra Bac Joint Stock Corporation (TRABACO), formerly Cuu Long Vegetable Oil Enterprise, was established under Decision 241/QD.UBT dated October 15, 1988 by the Chairman of the Cuu Long Provincial People’s Committee. Over its 37-year development journey, TRABACO has continuously endeavored to create high value-added products from coconut by-products, thus fulfilling its mission to elevate the value chain of Vietnamese coconuts while generating sustainable livelihoods for local farmers.

Head office of Tra Bac Joint Stock Corp.

Growing in tandem with Vietnam’s economic reform and intensive integration process, TRABACO has today developed a comprehensive system with five manufacturing plants, one coconut collection station and five functional departments staffed by highly skilled and dedicated personnel. As a pioneer in manufacturing value-added products from materials once deemed waste (such as coconut shells and coir), TRABACO has conducted research on technological production processes that self-balance moisture and temperature without firing coal, thus enhancing product competitiveness in the marketplace.

The corporation prioritizes investments in modern equipment and technologies to expand production scale, enhance product quality and diversify its product portfolios. Thanks to these efforts, TRABACO’s production factories consistently get impressive outputs: 7,000 tons of activated charcoal a year, 1,800 tons of BBQ charcoal a year, 16,000 tons of baled coir a year, 1.5 million square meters of knitted coir mats a year, 4,500 tons of dried coconut meat a year, 3,900 tons of frozen coconut cream a year, and 3,800 tons of anthracite charcoal a year. Among these, coconut charcoal has become one key commercial product of the global coconut industry, with steadily rising export value. TRABACO-branded charcoal products not only provide a sustainable bioenergy source but also promote a circular economy in the coconut industry, hence significantly improving the economic value of Vietnamese coconuts and enhancing the livelihoods of coconut farmers. To date, TRABACO-branded products are present in over 30 countries and territories around the world, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea and China, where they are highly trusted and appreciated by international customers. In 2024, TRABACO expanded into new markets like Australia, Sudan, Belgium, and Egypt. To meet rising demand, it now sources coconut shell charcoal from both Vietnam and abroad, including Indonesia and the Philippines.

With nearly four decades dedicated to the coconut industry, TRABACO takes pride in garnering many prestigious awards and honors, including over 20 Labor Orders, Emulation Flags and Certificates of Merit from central and local agencies; two Silver and one Gold National Quality Awards; the Top 100 Sustainable Brand Award in 2016 from the Ministry of Science and Technology. The corporation is also the first science and technology firm in Tra Vinh province and one of the 20 companies to be accredited to meet Vietnam’s Business Culture Standards. These achievements are attributed to its unwavering commitment to product quality, which is upheld through certified, consistently maintained and continuously improved quality management systems such as ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 17025, the BSCI Code of Conduct, and HALAL Certificate. Specially, TRABACO’s core product, activated charcoal, is quality-tested to meet advanced international standards such as ASTM (US), JIS-K 1474 (Japan) and VILAS 1268 Certificate by the Bureau of Accreditation. This stands as clear evidence of TRABACO’s ongoing innovation and strong commitment to delivering high-quality products made from coconut by-products, contributing to the elevation of Vietnam’s coconut value chain on the global arena.

Thirty-seven years of challenges, TRABACO has stayed strong, worked hard, and confidently expanded globally, proving itself a trusted, reputable brand.  Mr. Huynh Khac Nhu, General Director of TRABACO, said that, to meet the growing market demand, TRABACO will continue to foster a spirit of innovation, continuously improve product quality and diversify its product portfolios to increase the added value of products and maximize the potential value of the coconut. The corporation will also step up market expansion efforts, continue to bring its gold-refining activated charcoal, BBQ charcoal, coir carpets, water-purifying anthracite charcoal, frozen coconut juice and others into highly potential markets as well as the markets where the company holds competitive advantages. "Together with its peers, TRABACO will try its best to join with others to develop the Vietnamese coconut processing industry by diversifying products, using advanced equipment and technologies to achieve high economic value, and enable Vietnam’s coconut industry to confidently stand alongside major coconut-producing countries in the region and the world,” he emphasized.

By Cong Luan, Vietnam Business Forum