The office, which will work to attract trade and investment to Maryland and assist Maryland companies with doing business in Vietnam , will be co-located in Hanoi , the country’s political capital, and in Ho Chi Minh City , the country’s business hub.

The office will be run by Rockville-based Meiwah International Holdings, an import-export company which will essentially work on commission at no direct cost to Maryland .

Maryland ’s Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary Christian S. Johansson said he expects the new office will create more opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries. Maryland exported more than 22 million USD worth of products and services to Vietnam last year, and imported more than 65 million USD.

"We looked very closely at Vietnam ’s growing economy and are confident that having a presence there will enable us to tap into the tremendous potential for partnerships with Vietnamese companies, as well as encourage investment in Maryland ,” Johansson said in a statement.

Last year, Maryland opened new foreign offices in the Republic of Korea, Japan, Montenegro, Canada, Brazil, South Africa and Scandinavia, and a new one in New Delhi, India, in April this year.