Forum discusses ways to develop export products

Hanoi (VNA) – The 2017 Vietnam Export Promotion Forum took place in Hanoi on April 20 to discuss ways to develop and add value to products for export.

The event was held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) at the Ministry of Trade and Industry in response to the Vietnam Export Strategy from 2011-2020 with a vision to 2030.

The forum is an annual event to provide an opportunity for enterprises, policymakers and economic experts to exchange information, evaluate export markets and develop their markets, Vietrade director Bui Huy Son said.

The forum offers a chance to propose policies to enhance exports to improve Vietnam’s position as a capable, reliable and sustainable exporter, he added.

Vietnam’s export reached 176.6 billion USD last year, an increase of nine percent from a year earlier, despite extreme weather conditions and climate change threatening to decrease the country’s agricultural productivity, Son noted.

Director of the Institute for Brand and Competitiveness Strategy Tran Van Nam said export promotion activities play a vital role in bridging supply and demand as well as production and distribution to markets.

Nam cited the fact that agricultural production can generate a huge amount of farm products but the country has struggled to distribute and export these products due to farmers’ lack of promotional skills.

Trade promotion organisations should support the farmers by helping them access new markets both at home and abroad and encouraging market-oriented production, he suggested. - VNA