The research focuses on the active development of the Vietnam confectionery market, which is currently seen as a great opportunity for Russian chocolate exporters. As the food markets show consistent growth in value despite all geopolitical turmoil, Russian confectionery producers have continued exploring foreign exporting possibilities. The authors analyze Vietnam’s chocolate confectionery market in terms of its future potential; its contradictory nature is examined. Despite the active development of Vietnam, the market of chocolate products is still small, saturated with foreign brands, and marked by strong seasonal fluctuation. As a result, the authors conclude that the confectionery market is attractive from the point of view of filling certain niches with goods widely consumed in Russia. From the point of view of transportation, storage, and sale, this market has lots of problems and needs to be handled with care. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.