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Shipments to Japan normal, say exporters
Many Vietnam exporters have said exports to Japan remain normal despite the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami last Friday but are worried about the upcoming period.
Leading garment company Viettien Tuesday shipped 20,000 pieces of apparel.
Pham Tuan Kien, chief executive officer of Viettien, said shipments in April and May will not be affected since the importers are in Tokyo and Osaka which are relatively unscathed.
The company’s mid-range exports are likely to remain unaffected, Kien added Viettien exports 50 percent of its trouser outpur to Japan.
Another garment company, Sai Gon Garment III, said the disaster will reduce Japanese demand for luxury products but may increase demand for medium-priced products.
Vietnamese exporters like Sai Gon Garment III, Truong Thanh Furniture Corp, and Thong Nhat Rubber (Ruthimex) said their Japanese partners have not asked to cancel any contract yet.
Vietnamese exporter must contact their partner in northwest Japan for business information:
Inotani Takahide, Director of VIT Japan Company, which helps set up relationships between Vietnamese and Japanese firms, said business remains unaffected in the eastern part of Japan which was spared by the earthquake and tsunami.
But businesses in the northwest will cease operations for a few days as the government battles the radiation leak from the damaged nuclear plant, he said.
Japanese companies in the affected region may also go slow on their investment plans in Vietnam, he added.
Japan is among the three largest export markets for Vietnam besides the US and Europe.
Last year Vietnam shipped goods worth US$4.8 billion to the country, a 24 percent rise from the previous year.
tuoitrenews, TBKTSG, TT
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