Online workshop links Vietnamese companies and foreign distributors
Hanoi (VNA) - An online workshop was
held on August 20, providing training and networking activities
to help connect Vietnamese enterprises with foreign distribution networks.
Part of a governmental project to facilitate
such links, the workshop was co-organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade
(MoIT), giant retail groups such as Aeon, Walmart, Central Retail, and Lotte,
and different sector associations.
It attracted the participation of 200 companies
in agro-forestry and food processing along with thousands of viewers on its
official Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade
Do Thang Hai said the workshop is one of a series of activities within the
project, which aims to bolster the capacity of Vietnamese exporters in terms of
production, market expansion, and finance.
COVID-19 is plaguing the operations of companies
and supply sources, he said, adding that there is a need for stabilising the supply
system and distribution market, particularly regarding goods for daily life, like
farm produce and food.
Therefore, increasing exports via large distribution networks
is an effective solution, he noted, which could help Made-in-Vietnam
products more deeply enter global value and supply chains.
The MoIT has assigned the European-American Market
Department to work with a number of major distributors on building a set of
guidebooks for Vietnamese companies to improve their production and export
capacity.
Ta Hoang Linh, head of the department, said the
project aims to not only boost exports but also to build a capable business
community that can meet demands from overseas markets.
The ministry has been working to link suitable
partners together and to offer consultation services to Vietnamese companies,
he said. To save time, both sides can join a chatroom to share details on their
products after gaining the necessary information about each other, he added.
Fukui Tomoiaki, a senior manager from Japanese retailer AEON,
said the group exported 268 million USD worth of Vietnamese goods in the first
half of this year. The figure is expected to reach 500 million USD for the year
as a whole, in line with AEON’s commitment to the MoIT in a cooperation pact on
their strategic partnership.
Karim Noui from Central Retail noted that the
retailer has held various programmes to date to support Vietnamese farmers and
small- and medium-sized enterprises while working to send local products abroad./.