Italy seeks opportunities in leather, footwear, interior décor

Italian enterprises are seeking business opportunities in Vietnam, especially in leather, footwear and interior décor, sectors which are expected to benefit once the European Union – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is signed.
Italy seeks opportunities in leather, footwear, interior décor ảnh 1Illustrative image (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Italian enterprisesare seeking business opportunities in Vietnam, especially in leather, footwearand interior décor, sectors which are expected to benefit once the EuropeanUnion – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is signed.

In a recent interview with Dau tu (VietnamInvestment Review), Director of the Italian Trade Commission in Vietnam PaoloLemma expressed optimism about the EVFTA, which he said will open up opportunitiesfor Italian firms.

Regional Director of the firm, Comelz Italy FabrizioBellagamba described Vietnam as its fastest-growing market globally.

Comelz Italy offers cutting machines for theleather, footwear and handbag sector and established a representative office inVietnam in 2012.  It sold 100 machines in2017 and 140 since early this year.

In the near future, it hopes to sell moremachines to manufacturers that want to improve their competitiveness and jointhe global supply chain.

Recently in Ho Chi Minh City, 26 Italianbusinesses displayed their machinery and equipment at the Vietnam InternationalExhibition on Shoes and Leather 2018, with most of the firms already havingtheir own network of distributors, agents and representative offices in Vietnam.

According to the Italian Trade Agency,Italy’s export of leather and footwear neared 440 million EUR last year, up morethan 10 percent annually from 2016. The Vietnam market alone posted a two-foldincrease with 30 million EUR.

Earlier in the last half of 2017, theVietnam – Italy shoe technology centre was put into operation in the southernprovince of Binh Duong. It is equipped with the latest and most modern machineryand technologies directly imported from Italy and Europe, making it easier forsmall and medium-sized Vietnamese enterprises to develop new products.

Seven well-known Italian wood furniturefirms, namely Badari Lighting, Cantori, Diemme Cucine, Formitalia, OfficinaLuce, Sicis and Versace Home, also recently arrived in Vietnam to explore themarket.

Over the past three years, Vietnam’sinterior décor imports have grown by 33 percent on average each year. Amonginterior décor exporters to Vietnam, Italy ranked first in Europe and thirdglobally, accounting for 7 percent of the market share.

Chairman of the Italian Chamber of Commercein Vietnam (Icham) Michele D’ercole said Italy chooses Vietnam as a strategicgateway to trade and investment in Asia thanks to its favourable geographicallocation and easy links with other regional countries.

He added that Vietnam imported interiordécor worth 15.6 million USD from Italy last year, which is expected to expandby 33 percent in 2018.

Managing Director of Icham Vietnam PhamHoang Hai said Italian businesses have high hopes for the Vietnamese market thanksto its growth pace.-VNA
VNA

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