Trade Promotion in HCMC A One-year Review
In 2009 despite numerous difficulties trade promotion activities in Ho Chi Minh City helped businesses achieve good export results. The most dynamic trade promotion organizations were the Ho Chi Minh City Office of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency – Vietrade (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC).
Diverse activities
Vuong Dinh Ngan, the deputy director of Vietrade and the chief representative of Vietrade in Ho Chi Minh City, said that in 2009 the agency carried out many activities in the southern region to bring into play its role as the link between domestic and foreign companies. At the same time, Vietrade actively implemented its State management tasks. It supervised 20 sales promotion programs in Ho Chi Minh City and attended the opening ceremonies of 12 specialized fairs in southern provinces/cities.
Vietrade has organized seven workshops in Binh Duong, Can Tho, Binh Thuan, Kien Giang, Dong Thap, Tien Giang and Ba Ria – Vung Tau to have discussions and provide training to help businesses enhance their competitiveness and approach foreign markets. Those workshops covered different topics, for example the Middle East and African markets, the Russian market, the Chinese market, building local trademarks, the skills to approach the Cambodian market, and seeking ways for the wood processing sector to overcome difficulties in terms of capital and market.
Huynh Tan Phong, the deputy director of ITPC, said that in 2009 the center concentrated on export and domestic sales promotion as well as training activities. In terms of export promotion, the center made arrangements for many business delegations to take part in international fairs such as the Household Utensil Fair in Hong Kong (China), the Food and Drink Fair in Shanghai, China, the Fine Handicrafts and Furniture Fair in Germany and the Food and Drink Fair in Russia. In cooperation with the High-quality Vietnamese Products Club, the center organized a fair in Cambodia to present high-quality Vietnamese products for export.
To promote domestic sales, ITPC launched many sales campaigns in districts such as Cu Chi and Can Gio. The center held a forum themed ‘Functional food – potential and market’. In association with the Ho Chi Minh City Economics University, the center opened a class to provide training in sales skills to small traders in Ho Chi Minh City.
Also in 2009, ITPC organized 17 training workshops with attendants coming from 554 companies. Those workshops helped companies renovate the operation mechanism and improve management to promote exports, overcome technical barriers that hinder Vietnam’s exports to the Middle East market, improve marketing skills and take part more actively in international fairs.
Through their participation in international fairs and exhibitions, businesses, especially small and medium-sized companies, had a chance to meet customers and signed many contracts directly but not via any middleman. They also had a chance to seek useful information about the consumer demand as well as new technology and equipment so that they can make appropriate business and investment strategies which can help them avoid risks. In 2009, companies in Ho Chi Minh City took part in many market surveys in foreign countries, which helped them learn about the regulations and policies as well as the markets of foreign countries.
The plans for 2010
In 2010, the Ho Chi Minh City Office of Vietrade will continue to propose measures to intensify trade promotion in the time period of 2011-2015. At the same time, it will encourage companies to participate in the national trade promotion program.
The office will make arrangements for business delegations of Ho Chi Minh City to take part in international fairs such as the exclusive fair on wood products in Las Vegas, USA that will take place in July 2010. The office will coordinate with the ASEAN-Japan Promotion Center on Trade, Investment and Tourism to provide instructions for companies to take part in exhibitions such as Interiorlifestyle that will take place in June 2010, Food-Beverage (in September 2010) and Fashion (September 2010). In association with the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts and Wood Processing Association, the office will organize the 2010 Vietnam International Fair on Wood Products and Fine Handicrafts in Ho Chi Minh City in March 2010. It will also cooperate with the concerned organizations in the city of Can Tho to organize the International Agricultural Fair in December 2010.
ITPC will send business delegations to take part in specialized international fairs such as Global Sources-Home Products, Tendence 2010 (a furniture fair), World Food Moscow, Sail-Paris, and an international gift fair in Tokyo. The center will also send market survey teams to Myanmar, Japan and Russia. In Cambodia, ITPC will organize fairs in Phnom Penh, Battambang and border provinces such as Kampong Cham, Kampot, Kandal, Kratie and Takeo to present Vietnamese export products. The export showroom of ITPC in Ho Chi Minh City will continue to coordinate with business associations to implement programs to support the export of major kinds of products such as household utensils, gifts, electronic and information technology products, food and agricultural products, wood products and fine handicrafts.
To promote trade on the domestic market, ITPC will continue to launch sales campaigns for businesses of Ho Chi Minh City to sell their products in other cities/provinces. In addition, the center will organize market-days to sell Vietnamese products to suburban and rural residents. It will also hold workshops to encourage Vietnamese people to use Vietnamese products.
Intensifying trade promotion activities
In the opinion of Mr. Ngan, business associations and trade promotion centers of southern provinces and cities must learn more about the needs of companies so that they can work out feasible programs to promote trade in a professional manner. On their side, companies must be aware that the national trade promotion program is a government support program that aims at increasing exports and improving the competitiveness of Vietnamese products. Companies must take active part in the implementation of this program and propose ways to ensure the effectiveness of trade promotion activities.
Mr. Phong said that trade promotion activities must be intensive and focus on major markets, especially the Cambodian market that is very near to Vietnam. In his opinion, companies must be provided with training in sales skills and updated market information./.
VEN
Tags: Vietnam trade
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