Vietnam buys more German textile machinery

Vietnamese companies are buying more textile machinery from Germany, as seen in a sharp increase of imports of the products last year, said a German industry source.

Jennifer Hohn, head of exhibitions and marketing in VDMA Textile Machinery Association, quoted data of the Federal Statistical Office of Germany and the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), to say on Wednesday that German exports of textile machinery to Vietnam increased by 114% to 34 million euros in 2010.

Hohn is having a visit to Vietnam together with representatives of 16 German companies to introduce their latest developments in the area of spinning, weaving, knitting, finishing and textile testing in a two-day exhibition in HCMC.

The “German Technology for the Vietnamese Textile Industry – Conference & Exhibition” takes place in the New World Saigon Hotel in HCMC on April 6-7.

Hohn told the Daily on the sidelines of the event that this was the third time such an exhibition was held for German textile and apparel machinery companies to promote their products in Vietnam. The previous event took place in 2007.

“It’s a good time for the companies to come back to Vietnam as the country is buying more textile machinery from Germany,” she said.

While big Vietnamese apparel companies such as Phong Phu and Viet Thang are already buyers of machinery from Germany, small and medium companies found it unaffordable to buy the expensive products.

Vu Tri Hung, director of Tan Hiep Hung Ltd., told the Daily that he was impressed with the technology of German textile machinery can help produce high-quality products. However, the company, which produces ribbon and accessories for the apparel industry, has to think twice for such investment because the German machinery is two times more expensive than Taiwanese ones being used at the company.

According to Vietnam’s General Statistic Office, the country last year exported US$11.2 billion worth of textile and garments, up 23% year-on-year. However, the country imported more than US$5.3 billion worth of clothing and more than US$2.6 billion worth of material and accessories for garments and footwear.

Tags: German textile machinery