They said Vietnamese handicraft products have been exported to such choosy markets as the EU, the US, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, with a total export turnover of nearly USD 1.5 billion per year.
Director of Hanoi Hung Anh Co., Ltd. Trinh Tuyet Nga said European customers still favor handicrafts made in Vietnam due to their high quality and sophistication.
Photo for illustration: tapchitaichinh.vn
The EU would remain the main importer of Vietnamese handicrafts, she said, noting that her company has exported one container of fine-art handicrafts worth around USD 10,000 to the EU since the beginning of this year.
However, it is difficult for the company to handle big orders from foreign businesses due to financial restrictions and small-scale production while the EU has strict demands for quality, design and delivery of products, Nga said.
Most of Vietnamese handicraft exporters are small- and medium-sized enterprises; hence their trade competence is not high, and they lack of experience to make use of international trade opportunities.
The application of traditional methods also makes it difficult for businesses to produce and export handicrafts at the same time.
Ta Minh Hung, a trade promotion expert from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held that it is necessary to improve the production value chain from manufacturing to selling the products as well as embrace links between production and trade to optimize production and consumption capacity.
For example, in the stage of production, he suggested boosting the application of technologies to increase output and quality, thus meeting the demand of big orders.
Regarding the commercial stage, it is essential to set up financially-strong companies to expand markets, he said.
He recommended encouraging potential domestic businesses to participate in international trade promotion programs and trade fairs to popularize products, seek partners and open markets.
Vietnamese businesses are scheduled to attend the Mega Show – an international handicraft trade fair in China’s Hong Kong in October and France’s Paris in November 2017.
Source: VNA