Domestic exporters are experiencing reduced orders for this year's second quarter because of the economic crisis in the export markets, experts said.

Pho Nam Phuong, director of the HCM City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre, said that domestic exporters normally sign export contracts at the end of the previous year for full orders until the end of the third quarter.

Since the end of 2011, however, almost all local exporters had struggled to secure export orders, Phuong said.

Pham Xuan Hong, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas), said export orders for the textile and apparel industry in the second quarter fell by 10-15 percent against the same period last year.

In the first quarter, exports of textile and apparel to the EU fell by 30 percent and 16 percent to Japan , Hong said, adding that some enterprises had returned to the domestic market but they were not very successful there.

According to the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso), few enterprises from the sector have signed export contracts for the second quarter.

The number of export orders for the second quarter has also reduced by 20-30 percent in comparison with the same period of last year, Lefaso said.

The reduction in export orders was due to the difficult economic climate in the export markets and also the increasing demand for higher quality and eco-friendly products in the EU, the US and Japan, said the Trade Promotion Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Diep Thanh Kiet, Lefaso deputy chairman, said demand in the Europe used to account for 50 percent of all leather and footwear exports from Vietnam , but orders has dropped due to the economic crisis.

Therefore, the industry plans to look for new export markets, including Australia , Russia , and certain South American and North African countries, Kiet said.-VNA