More Vietnamese goods head for regional markets

For the first time ASEAN has surpassed the EU in importing Vietnamese goods, reported the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In July, Vietnam exported US$6.21 billion worth of goods to ASEAN while the export value to the EU was $5.98 billion.

Nguyen Thanh Bien, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, attributed the EU's smaller import consumption to the debt crisis.

Export turnover to ASEAN is expected to hit $8.88 billion by the end of the year while the estimated figure for the EU market will be $10.9 billion, according to export plans from the ministry.

Vietnam will have a difficult time boosting its exports to the Southeast Asian block because Vietnam and ASEAN countries produce similar, competitive commodities.

" Vietnam can capitalise on opportunities to enhance exports to other markets via the free trade agreements with ASEAN nations rather than approaching a strong export growth in the block," said the ministry's multi-lateral trade policy department director Tran Quoc Khanh.

About 13 sectors' export values were higher than 1 billion USD each during the first eight months of the year, reported the ministry. Staple exports include textiles and garments, footwear, wooden furniture, seafood and coffee.

Traditional markets, including the EU, the US , Japan , mainland China and the Republic of Korea , continue to be the largest consumers of Vietnamese exports.

Demand fluctuations in these markets would directly impact Vietnam 's exports, said experts.

Nguyen Son, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas), said the US economy's poor performance in July resulted in lower demand.

Nguyen Ton Quyen, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association, said Vietnam aims to earn $1.3 billion from wooden furniture exports to major markets this year.

Russia , Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America markets have been difficult to penetrate, especially during the global economic crisis.

The textile and garment industry has had difficulty tapping into the Russian market because of the country's high import taxes. Africa has a large amount of demand for clothing, but enterprises have had difficulties negotiating payment methods.

Experts warned local firms about technical barriers in large markets.

New legislation in the US and the EU are likely to have an adverse impact on Vietnamese exports, said experts.

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More Vietnamese goods head for regional markets

For the first time ASEAN has surpassed the EU in importing Vietnamese goods, reported the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In July, Vietnam exported 6.21 billion USD worth of goods to ASEAN
while the export value to the EU was 5.98 billion USD.

Nguyen Thanh Bien, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, attributed
the EU's smaller import consumption to the debt crisis.

Export turnover to ASEAN is expected to hit 8.88 billion USD by the
end of the year while the estimated figure for the EU market will be
10.9 billion USD, according to export plans from the ministry.

Vietnam will have a difficult time boosting its exports to the
Southeast Asian block because Vietnam and ASEAN countries produce
similar, competitive commodities.

" Vietnam can
capitalise on opportunities to enhance exports to other markets via the
free trade agreements with ASEAN nations rather than approaching a
strong export growth in the block," said the ministry's multi-lateral
trade policy department director Tran Quoc Khanh.

About 13 sectors' export values were higher than 1 billion USD each
during the first eight months of the year, reported the ministry. Staple
exports include textiles and garments, footwear, wooden furniture,
seafood and coffee.

Traditional markets, including
the EU, the US , Japan , mainland China and the Republic of
Korea , continue to be the largest consumers of Vietnamese exports.

Demand fluctuations in these markets would directly impact Vietnam 's exports, said experts.

Nguyen Son, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Textile and
Apparel Association (Vitas), said the US economy's poor performance
in July resulted in lower demand.

Nguyen Ton Quyen,
deputy chairman of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association,
said Vietnam aims to earn 1.3 billion USD from wooden furniture
exports to major markets this year.

Russia ,
Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North America markets have
been difficult to penetrate, especially during the global economic
crisis.

The textile and garment industry has had
difficulty tapping into the Russian market because of the country's high
import taxes. Africa has a large amount of demand for clothing, but
enterprises have had difficulties negotiating payment methods.

Experts warned local firms about technical barriers in large markets.

New legislation in the US and the EU are likely to have an adverse impact on Vietnamese exports, said experts./.

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Saigon Co.op promotes Vietnam-made goods sales

Shoppers flood a Co-opMart store in HCMC - Photo: Quoc Hung

HCMC - Vietnam’s leading supermarket chain operator Saigon Co.op late last week announced to spend more than VND45 billion on a sales promotion program for Vietnam-made goods at its stores to offer more benefits to customers.

The program will be kicked off late this month until September 26 at 46 Co.opMart supermarkets and 12 Co.op Food stores. Besides, the supermarket will also launch mobile stores stocked with essential commodities, with prices slashed by up to 50% for sale to workers and poor people.

Nguyen Thi Hanh, general director of Saigon Co.op, said the chain would offer a discount program at 46 Co.opMart and 12 Co.op Food stores and, which will slash prices from 10% – 50% for around 1,500 items.

Under the program, customers of Co.opMart supermarkets and Co.op Food stores will have chances to receive gifts and join lucky draws for valuable prizes including 46 Attila scooters and 4,000 gifts. Around 400 local enterprises are expected to join this year’s promotion month of Saigon Co.op.

This is part of the promotion program called ‘Pride of Vietnamese Products’ under the city’s sales promotion month aimed to accelerate the consumption of local products, contribute to economic growth and attract more foreign visitors to the city for shopping.

Supermarkets in the country are now lending a helping hand to local producers of quality goods by prioritizing local commodities on their shelves. The proportion of Vietnam-made goods on the shelves has reached 90-95%.

At Co.opMart stores, 95% of food products and 90% of non-food products displayed along the aisles are made in Vietnam, according to a report just sent by Co.opMart to the HCMC Industry and Trade Department.

According to Bui Hanh Thu, deputy director of Saigon Co.op, foreign products dominated in the past, but domestic products have been gradually making strides.

“Vietnam made goods are now dominating many categories of products,” Thu stated. “For example, 95% of ready-made clothes at Saigon Co-op now are domestically-made products. Meanwhile, previously, 40% of the products were imports.”

Vietnamese goods have regained local consumers’ confidence thanks to their good materials, diversified designs and competitive prices.

According to a survey conducted by TV Plus Company, 58% of Vietnamese consumers have shown keen interest in locally-made products since a campaign entitled “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods” was launched by the Ministry of Industry and Trade more than one year ago, compared to 23% previously.

Nguyen Thi Hong, vice chairwoman of the HCMC government, noted a shift to local goods among consumers during a conference here last month.

“Consumers had made active changes in their purchasing habits. The number of people choosing Vietnamese goods increased as they had made comparison in prices and quality between Vietnamese and foreign goods,” Hong said.

Vietnamese commodities now hold larger spaces in trade centers, supermarkets and wholesales centers including Co.opMart, Big C, Metro Cash and Carry Vietnam, Hapro, and Maximark to name but a few.

In the first half of the year, sales revenues of many supermarket chains in the country sharply increased, with an average growth rate of 30-40% in HCMC. Remarkably, the Saigon Co.op Mart system experienced a revenue growth of 70% compared to the same period last year.

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Saigon Co.op promotes Vietnam-made goods sales

Shoppers flood a Co-opMart store in HCMC - Photo: Quoc Hung

HCMC - Vietnam’s leading supermarket chain operator Saigon Co.op late last week announced to spend more than VND45 billion on a sales promotion program for Vietnam-made goods at its stores to offer more benefits to customers.

The program will be kicked off late this month until September 26 at 46 Co.opMart supermarkets and 12 Co.op Food stores. Besides, the supermarket will also launch mobile stores stocked with essential commodities, with prices slashed by up to 50% for sale to workers and poor people.

Nguyen Thi Hanh, general director of Saigon Co.op, said the chain would offer a discount program at 46 Co.opMart and 12 Co.op Food stores and, which will slash prices from 10% – 50% for around 1,500 items.

Under the program, customers of Co.opMart supermarkets and Co.op Food stores will have chances to receive gifts and join lucky draws for valuable prizes including 46 Attila scooters and 4,000 gifts. Around 400 local enterprises are expected to join this year’s promotion month of Saigon Co.op.

This is part of the promotion program called ‘Pride of Vietnamese Products’ under the city’s sales promotion month aimed to accelerate the consumption of local products, contribute to economic growth and attract more foreign visitors to the city for shopping.

Supermarkets in the country are now lending a helping hand to local producers of quality goods by prioritizing local commodities on their shelves. The proportion of Vietnam-made goods on the shelves has reached 90-95%.

At Co.opMart stores, 95% of food products and 90% of non-food products displayed along the aisles are made in Vietnam, according to a report just sent by Co.opMart to the HCMC Industry and Trade Department.

According to Bui Hanh Thu, deputy director of Saigon Co.op, foreign products dominated in the past, but domestic products have been gradually making strides.

“Vietnam made goods are now dominating many categories of products,” Thu stated. “For example, 95% of ready-made clothes at Saigon Co-op now are domestically-made products. Meanwhile, previously, 40% of the products were imports.”

Vietnamese goods have regained local consumers’ confidence thanks to their good materials, diversified designs and competitive prices.

According to a survey conducted by TV Plus Company, 58% of Vietnamese consumers have shown keen interest in locally-made products since a campaign entitled “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese goods” was launched by the Ministry of Industry and Trade more than one year ago, compared to 23% previously.

Nguyen Thi Hong, vice chairwoman of the HCMC government, noted a shift to local goods among consumers during a conference here last month.

“Consumers had made active changes in their purchasing habits. The number of people choosing Vietnamese goods increased as they had made comparison in prices and quality between Vietnamese and foreign goods,” Hong said.

Vietnamese commodities now hold larger spaces in trade centers, supermarkets and wholesales centers including Co.opMart, Big C, Metro Cash and Carry Vietnam, Hapro, and Maximark to name but a few.

In the first half of the year, sales revenues of many supermarket chains in the country sharply increased, with an average growth rate of 30-40% in HCMC. Remarkably, the Saigon Co.op Mart system experienced a revenue growth of 70% compared to the same period last year.

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• Saigon Co.op promotes Vietnam-made goods sales
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