Executives from seven Italian cosmetics makers met Vietnamese counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City on Jan. 18 to seek business opportunities.

Italian cosmetics, including makeup, hair and skin products and perfumes, had a late start in the Vietnamese market compared to other Italian products, so it would take a while to develop a presence.

Vietnam’s imports of Italian cosmetic products was 1.5 million USD in 2007 and 2.8 million USD in 2008, accounting for 1.5 percent and 3.5 percent of the market share in Vietnam, respectively./.