The report was issued prior to the Global Sources' Private Sourcing Event, which will be held in HCM City on September 16.

It is expected to attract some of the world's biggest buyers, including ICA, Arena, Next, Target AU, Metro and the Canadian company Tire HK, to meet quality Vietnamese suppliers.

"The fact that big-name buyers with combined annual sales of more than US$60 billion are reviewing Vietnamese suppliers' profiles in preparation for the Private Sourcing Event underlines the competitiveness and quality of these exporters," said Vu Ngoc Khiem, the manager of Kearny's export-assistance programme for developing countries.

97 percent of all surveyed suppliers were optimistic about sales growth and 55 percent expected sales to rise by more than 10 percent this year.

According to the survey, export prices range from less than 15 cents to more than US$32, depending on the product, type of material and design.

The total output of the producers who responded to the survey was 40 million units per month, half of which are for export.

Cooking utensil and kitchen accessories accounted for 86 percent and 10 percent of total output, respectively.

"The suppliers surveyed in the report said they were rolling out new competitive strategies, including enhancing R&D and making items using eco-friendly materials while keeping prices stable to retain current buyers and attract new customers," said Khiem.

One supplier profiled in the report, Nguyen Xuan Phu, general director of Sunhouse JSC, said: "Many buyers are coming back to our company inquiring about nonstick and stainless steel cooking. This makes us optimistic about an increase in export sales this year."

"We are very excited about becoming a verified supplier on Global Sources' B2B website and meeting buyers face-to-face at the Private Sourcing Event here in Vietnam," he added.

Khiem said the surveyed suppliers also planned to emphasise traditional overseas markets.
"Close to two-thirds of them will focus on the EU, while a fifth will target Asia-Pacific. The rest cater to North America," he said.

The Vietnam Sourcing Report: Kitchenware is one of a series of emerging market sourcing reports by Kearny, featuring the profiles of 33 export manufacturers, plus the descriptions, prices and packaging details of the 103 best-selling export products.

These include fruit baskets, food trays, frying pans and dish racks made from metal, rattan, wood, bamboo, ceramics and plastic.