Chairman of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Hiroyuki Ishige (Source: VNA) Ishige told VietnamNews Agency (VNA) reporters in Tokyo that Japanese enterprises have pointed outthree advantages when investing in Vietnam, including socio-political stability,large-scale and promising market and low-cost labour.
In 2015-2016, Japanesecompanies paid due attention to such fields as retail, hotels, restaurants andconstruction in Vietnam, the JETRO Chairman said.
He noted that JETROhas organised workshops, released survey results and given advice to Japanesesmall-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who want to directly invest inVietnam at JETRO offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Ishige added that 399out of 4,533 Japanese businesses participating in a project launched by JETROwhich aims to assist Japanese SMEs said that they want to invest in theVietnamese market. Meanwhile, 985 Japanese firms have been interested inoperating in the Southeast Asian nation.
According to JETRO’ssurvey on the international operations of Japanese firms in the 2016 fiscalyear which ended on March 31, 2017, Vietnam has emerged as one of Japan’s mostimportant export markets, together with the US and Western Europe.
Accordingly, 7.6percent of the surveyed Japanese businesses chose Vietnam as the most importantexport market, as compared with 3 percent recorded in 2012. China took the leadwith 19.8 percent, followed by the US with 15.5 percent.
Among investmentdestinations cited by companies intending to expand business overseas, Vietnamranked fourth with 32.4 percent, up from 28.7 percent. China and Thailandcontinued to rank first and second place, although the rate of responses forthe two countries decreased respectively to 53.7 percent from 56.5 percent theyear before and to 41.7 percent from 44.0 percent. The US claimed the thirdplace at 33.7 percent, from 31.3 percent.
Among 70 Japanesefirms which moved their investment from other countries to ASEAN in the 2016fiscal year, up to 38 turned their attention to Vietnam.-VNA
VNA
