A senior trade official has hailed 2013 as a successful year for Vietnamese exporters in general, especially those ship goods to the US.

Dao Tran Nhan, Minister Counsellor for Trade and head of the Vietnam Trade Office in the US told the Vietnam News Agency on the fringes of the recent trade counselors’ conference that Vietnam will run a trade surplus of 20 billion USD with the US when its export is estimated to surpass the 25 billion USD mark.

The figure is significant as export to the US accounts for 20 percent of Vietnam’s total export, Nhan said.

About opportunities and challenges ahead, the counsellor emphasised that trade with the US is political trade.

Dealing with anti-dumping lawsuits and anti-subsidy issues, offering legal assistance and clearing bottlenecks for Vietnamese exports are a major part of his office’s workload.

He forecasts that Vietnam’s export to the US will grow by some 10 percent in 2014.

To assist exporters to earn higher turnover and local negotiators in Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, Nhan said his office has informed the Ministry of Industry and Trade and concerned ministries and agencies about trade barriers imposed by the US as well as the country’s new policies on export.

It also made in-depth studies on new laws and disseminate them to the circle of business players on a regular basis, making them aware of technical barriers and others involved, he said.-VNA