A workshop was organised by the Department of Trade Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Hanoi on September 30 to discuss the development of regional export plans in a bid to improve export competitiveness for Vietnam’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) via a local trade promotion scheme.

The scheme, using non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) provided by the Swiss Government, is being carried out in the northern city of Hai Phong, the central city of Da Nang and the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho during the 2013-2016 period.

Miroslav Delaporte, Chief Representative of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in Vietnam said the programme helped enhance the skills and capacities of trade promotion agencies and trade organisations in the three regions.

It aims to develop production plans for selected products and sectors chosen for their export potential based on in-depth assessment reports for the regions.

Proposals to enhance the export capacity of local enterprises were also devised based on the localities’ trade promotion efforts. The proposals include a set of measures to support the export potential of enterprises operating in the selected sectors.
Regional export plans and detailed action plans will be developed for localities in the North, Central and Southwest from 2015 onwards to promote the production of goods with a high export potential.

According to Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu, Vietnam’s export turnover in 2013 reached 264.26 billion USD, up by 15.7 percent compared to 2012. Since 2011, the country’s export turnover has increased by 20 billion USD each year.

Vietnam’s exports have increased continuously, especially the exports of manufactured and processed products. In general, the export of raw materials has decreased and the additional value of export goods has increased.

In addition to the efforts of export businesses, the participation of the Government of Vietnam in negotiating free trade agreements with its trade partners has contributed to the expansion of the range of export goods, Tu said.-VNA