Businesses in the Mekong Delta are stepping up the exports of agricultural products to the United Arab Emirates, raising the total earning from this market since the beginning of this year to 118 million USD.

According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch in Can Tho province, the UAE mainly buys shrimps, frozen fillet fishes, coconut and rice. In 2009 and 2010, Vietnam earned 292 million USD from farm produce export to this Middle East country.

Besides agricultural products, the UAE also imports consumer and pharmaceutical products, footwear, wooden furniture, handicrafts, machineries and equipment from Vietnam while Vietnam’s imports from UAE are plastic materials, crude oil, chemicals, auto spare parts, and equipment.

Located at the commercial gate of the Middle East region which offers convenient access to Asian and European markets, the UAE is a centre for trade, finance, transport, tourism, exhibitions and seminars with many free economic areas and a developed banking system.

The Department of African, Western and Southern Asian Market under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that trade with UAE brings high profit but contains risks. They recommended the Vietnamese businesses gather full information on UAE partners to limit risks./.