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Exports to Thailand below potential, says ambassador
Exports to Thailand were well below potential even though the two countries were neighbours, Thai Ambassador to Viet Nam Pisanu Chanvitan said on the eve of the annual Thailand exhibition which opens in Ha Noi today.
For example, Thailand had a high demand for seafood and Viet Nam was a leading seafood exporter, yet Vietnamese seafood products could not compete in price with those from Bangladesh which was further away from Thailand, Pisanu Chanvitan told reporters.
"Vietnamese seafood exporters need to reduce transport costs," he said.
Pisanu Chanvitan also asked why Vietnamese enterprises did not import Thailand beef, which was of good quality and competitive in price, to give customers a choice beside the beef imported from Australia and New Zealand.
He said Viet Nam's companies were exporting black jelly, clothes and coffee to Thailand which customers liked.
Vietnamese Ambassador in Thailand Ngo Duc Thang said exports to Thailand increased by 4 per cent in the first half of this year while exports from Thailand to Viet Nam rose 43 per cent. Last year, the trade value between the two countries reached US$6.1 billion, Thang said. The value was expected to top $10 billion this year.
Thailand and Viet Nam expected to co-operate in the exchange of scientific and technical solutions, improve quality, reduce the price of rice and expand markets, he said.
Thailand so far had 216 projects in Viet Nam with a total investment of $5.7 billion, being the eighth largest investor in the country.
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