Design improvements key to future of handicraft industry

The Viet Nam Handicraft Exporters Association (Vietcraft) will set up a design centre to develop handicraft products as poor quality design is a major stumbling block for the development of the industry, said Vietcraft chairman Do Nhu Dinh.

Dinh said that good design was a key factor in helping the handicraft industry compete against products from the Philippines and Thailand.

According to a Vietcraft’s survey, more than 80 per cent of the country’s handicraft makers were incapable of developing their own designs, and were only capable of doing outwork for foreign companies.

Due to their dependence on foreign companies, Vietnamese handicraft markers could only make modest profits, said Dinh.

Vietcraft also recommended domestic handicraft makers closely co-operate with their foreign counterparts to be able to create designs that meet consumer demand, Dinh said.

Besides focusing on design, Vietcraft would also expect its members to enlarge export markets through the organisation of fairs dedicated to handicraft products.

According to Vietcraft, despite the handicraft industry earning the country more than US$1 billion annually, there hasn’t been any fairs dedicated to handicraft products to date.

“The organisation of such kind of fairs is a pressing issue that will help domestic handicraft makers find customers,” Dinh said.

Other regional countries and territories such as Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore had for years organised fairs dedicated to handicrafts despite their handicraft industries being less developed than Viet Nam, Dinh said.

The countries’ handicraft makers could find a significant number of customers through such fairs, as they often attracted large numbers of foreign visitors from Europe and the US, said Dinh.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the country’s handicraft industry has grown at a rapid yearly average rate of 11-15 per cent for the past decade. The industry’s exports reached more than $1.5 billion last year against $200 million in 2000. Vietnamese handicrafts have so far shipped to 120 countries and territories with the US, Russia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan being the biggest customers.

There are around 1,400 craft villages nationwide creating jobs for 70,000 workers. These villages produce 300 different products including those made of bamboo, pottery, and products made of precious stones. —VNS

Tags: Vietnam Handicraft