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| Washington state governor Chris Gregoire helps promote American potato among Vietnamese students at a KFC outlet in HCMC on Thursday - Photo: Kinh Luan |
Gregoire stressed the point in response to the Daily’s question about American companies’ interest in this emerging economy at her meeting with reporters in HCMC on Thursday to review the trade mission of the Washington state in Vietnam.
“We believe that the economy of Vietnam is growing rapidly and has a huge amount of potential success in the future,” she said. “So, there’s significant interest from American companies to either have a plant or start a company here.”
The rising interest was demonstrated by the participation of around 60 business, agriculture and education leaders in the trade delegation led by Gregoire to Vietnam. “We are here to promote trade,” she said, adding the aim was to promote sales of the state of Washington’s products to Vietnam and help more Vietnamese products go to the state.
Gregoire told reporters that Washington state’s number one trading partner was China and that Vietnam was emerging in the state’s list of trading partners.
“We have identified Vietnam as one of the fastest growing… greatest opportunities for trade between Washington state and Asian countries.”
Pepper, rice, cashew nut, tea, coffee and furniture are among the Vietnamese products exported to Washington. Gregoire said one of Vietnam’s most popular fruit in the state was the dragon fruit. “We do not have it (dragon fruit) so we are importing it and it is becoming very popular.”
Gregoire said she was not able to give a specific number regarding trade between Washington state and Vietnam, but stressed the trade was very balanced regarding agriculture.
Last year, Washington exported almost US$1 million worth of frozen potatoes, US$5 million of apples, some US$11 million of beef and US$2.5 million of milk powder to Vietnam. Washington is the second largest grower of potatoes in the United States and the number one exporter of frozen French fries.
Gregoire said Vietnam agreed to open up the market to fresh Washington potatoes this summer and “we are here now talking how we actually take that position to make the work on the ground.”
She said her state wanted to promote two-way trade with Vietnam. “We want Washington people to enjoy dragon fruit and Vietnamese people to enjoy cherries.”
The Washington delegates explored opportunities in a wide range of business scopes in Vietnam, including education, healthcare and other services. As for education, Gregoire said four universities came this time to attract more Vietnamese students and promote student and teacher exchange programs between the state and this country.
“We believe that trade cannot be built on economics alone but has to be built on a foundation of mutual respect and friendship. The best way to do that is to share education and students so we can learn the culture and the language, and have a better foundation,” Gregoire said.
Some 1,200 Vietnamese students are studying at universities in Washington, Gregoire said.
Over the past four days, Gregoire had a number of meetings with government and business leaders, including that with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi on Monday before she went to Hue on Wednesday for the opening of a primary school sponsored by Boeing.
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