The former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam said that this will be an important visit taking place after the upgrade of the U.S.-Vietnam relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development and on the occasion of the 40th founding anniversary of the USABC.
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U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) President & CEO Ted Osius |
He said that U.S. businesses have shown great interest in Vietnam. From almost no trade relations in the 1990s, the two sides enjoyed two-way trade of 138 billion USD in 2022, and Vietnam has become the eighth largest trade partner of the U.S.
According to Osius, three areas that attract U.S. investors the most are technology, energy, and health care. In the technology sector, the U.S. is committed to helping Vietnam develop its semiconductor industry through investing in workforce development for Vietnam.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is investing 100 million USD in workforce development and announced just a few days ago an additional commitment to improve workforce qualifications through Arizona State University, he stated, holding that U.S. companies are also greatly interested in the continuous development of the Vietnamese workforce.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernandez who visited Vietnam recently said that 15 companies are ready to invest 8 billion USD in the semiconductor industry, but there will be challenges when they want to buy clean energy from sources such as clean natural gas, solar power, hydropower and wind power. Therefore, the USABC will discuss with them measures to deal with this task in March, he added.
U.S. firms also want to be able to produce pharmaceuticals and medical equipment in Vietnam and invest in the healthcare sector, said Fernandez, expressing confidence in this great potentials and affirming that during the trip in March, some of those potentials will be realised.
According to Osius, Vietnam is considered a stable and open country that always welcomes American people and businesses. The Vietnamese Government is ready to take steps to create favorable conditions for investors and to address challenges, he commented.
The USABC leader hailed the openness in business cooperation between the two countries, especially in the field of high technology because Vietnam has many talents and great potential. According to him, this sector can reach 1 trillion USD across ASEAN by 2030 and account for 30% of Vietnam's economy in a few years. This is a dynamically growing part of the Vietnamese economy and an attractive area for U.S. companies that will accompany him on the March trip, he underlined.
Source: VNA