Hanoi promotes trade to boost exports
The capital city plans to promote trade activities to boost exports this year and beyond, said an official from the Hanoi Industry and Trade Department.
Phan Tien Binh, deputy director of the Hanoi Industry and Trade Department, said trade promotion programmes for new export markets will be bigger and better in coming years.
Trade promotion programmes are scheduled to focus on markets in South America, Central America, Europe and Asia, said Binh.
The greatest focus will be on Japan, ASEAN, the Republic of Korea and China, which continue to be the major export markets for Hanoi due to their geographic proximity and high demand, he said.
Additionally, Hanoi will expand the export of goods and services to the Middle Eastern and African countries.
The city will also better ensure the quality of enterprises that join trade fairs abroad and promote advertising of products at the fairs to improve quality of the trade promotion programmes, he said.
The department will enhance co-ordination between local enterprises and foreign partners in Hanoi. It will give priority to foreign importers and foreign enterprises that import goods from villages, while also helping to develop supporting industrial facilities and consulting enterprises.
It also planned to increase investment capital in trade promotion programmes for export products.
The city expects to increase the export of processed farming products, interior decoration products, packaging, software and logistics products.
Binh said the plans will help Hanoi increase exports, especially at a time when the global economy is recovering.
The department reported Hanoi gained a slight rise of 0.2 percent in export value to US$4.17 billion for the first five months in this year compared with the same period of last year.
Key staples included textiles, garments, handcraft articles, coal and farming products. The major export markets were ASEAN, China, Japan, the EU and the US.