A workshop was organised by the Department of Trade Promotion under the
Ministry of Industry and Trade in Hanoi on September 30 to discuss the
development of regional export plans in a bid to improve export
competitiveness for Vietnam’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
via a local trade promotion scheme.
The scheme, using
non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) provided by the
Swiss Government, is being carried out in the northern city of Hai
Phong, the central city of Da Nang and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho
during the 2013-2016 period.
Miroslav Delaporte, Chief
Representative of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
(SECO) in Vietnam said the programme helped enhance the skills and
capacities of trade promotion agencies and trade organisations in the
three regions.
It aims to develop production plans for
selected products and sectors chosen for their export potential based on
in-depth assessment reports for the regions.
Proposals to
enhance the export capacity of local enterprises were also devised based
on the localities’ trade promotion efforts. The proposals include a set
of measures to support the export potential of enterprises operating in
the selected sectors.
Regional export plans and detailed action
plans will be developed for localities in the North, Central and
Southwest from 2015 onwards to promote the production of goods with a
high export potential.
According to Deputy Minister of Industry
and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu, Vietnam’s export turnover in 2013 reached
264.26 billion USD, up by 15.7 percent compared to 2012. Since 2011, the
country’s export turnover has increased by 20 billion USD each year.
Vietnam’s
exports have increased continuously, especially the exports of
manufactured and processed products. In general, the export of raw
materials has decreased and the additional value of export goods has
increased.
In addition to the efforts of export businesses, the
participation of the Government of Vietnam in negotiating free trade
agreements with its trade partners has contributed to the expansion
of the range of export goods, Tu said.-VNA