|
Exports to Africa fail to meet full potential
The Government should give more support to Vietnamese businesses in Africa, which is a promising market for Vietnamese goods, a trade official has said.
In many African countries, there is huge demand for a number of Vietnamese export staples like coffee, cashew nut, pepper, rice, seafood, motorbikes, and agricultural machinery.
"However, Vietnamese exports to Africa are growing very slowly, rising from US$1.33 billion in 2008 to $1.52 billion last year," Ly Quoc Hung, head of the Ministry of Trade and Industry's Africa – West Asia – East Asia Department, said.
"This slow pace could fritter away the competitive advantage."
To get a foothold in the market, the ministry suggested that Vietnamese businesses should take part in fairs and exhibitions and look for long-term and large contracts.
"If local enterprises want to do business in Africa, they must send their representatives to work in the market," Hung said.
They can also set up footwear, textile and garment, motorcycle, and construction material manufacturing and seafood processing units in African countries and sell their products at big profits without worrying about fierce competition from Chinese enterprises, according to Hung.
Furthermore, Africa still benefits from the Generalised System of Preferences from the US and EU and if Vietnamese enterprises set up production bases there, they can also expand exports.
Last year the ministry organised 15 seminars around the country to introduce the African market to domestic businesses but there was not much interest.
"The Government should have more support policies," Hung said, listing expansion of credit limits for enterprises who want to do business in Africa and posting more trade and foreign representatives to the continent to support Vietnamese companies doing business there.
vietnamnews
|
