Processing dragon fruit for export (Illustrative image). Photo: VNA) An Giang (VNA) – Southern localities should diversify both export markets and products, while enhancing goods’ quality and models to increase competitiveness amidst fierce competition when Vietnam joins the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), said a trade official.
It is crucial to pay more attention to the domestic market, especially rural areas, and foster the link between the network of counsellors abroad and trade associations and businesses at home, said Industry and Trade (MoIT) Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai at meeting to discuss solutions to strengthen trade promotion programmes for southern localities in An Giang on May 27.
Hai held that the TPP and AEC will also open up new prospects for Vietnam ’s imports and exports.
He urged industry and trade sectors of regional localities to continue stepping up measures to ensure stable markets for agricultural products and updating economic integration information to the business community and producers.
The ministry and its Trade Promotion Agency will also implement action programmes to meet businesses’ demands and remove obstacles for them, he said, noting that the most important solution is improving product quality.
Meanwhile, Bui Huy Son, head of the Trade Promotion Agency revealed that so far this year, the agency has successfully introduced about 100 foreign firms to southern localities to seek partnership opportunities.
At the same time, it also arranged meetings between trade promotion centres, trade associations, 500 regional enterprises and foreign businesses, while intensifying e-commerce promotional channels to introduce prestigious Vietnamese firms to the world.
So far, southern localities have organised more than 200 trade promotion programmes at a total cost of 15.2 billion VND (679,136 USD).
They have been supported to join a project to enhance competitiveness for small and medium-sized enterprises through local trade promotion centres.
The Trade Promotion Agency has also coordinated with the Netherlands’ Centre for the Promotion of Imports through the MUTRAP-EU project to build trademark strategies for the food industry of Vietnam and southern localities in particular, Son added.-VNA
