A seminar between Vietnamese garment and textile firms and cotton exporters from Eastern and Southern Africa took place on August 19th in Hanoi.

The meeting was organised by the Vietnam Trade and Industry Ministry in an effort to connect the two sides and promote trade exchanges in the future.

Representatives of the Vietnam Garment and Textile Association (Vinatex) said that the sector now sees a high growth rate and that garment and textile exports could reach US$ 13 billion in 2011 and target of US$ 25-27 billion in the period of 2015-2020.

Alongside the growth in exports, the sector has to import some 400,000 tons of cotton per year and the demand for cotton imports are on the rise.

Meanwhile, African cotton, according to Vietnamese garment and textile firms, can meet the quality requirements, but both sides lack information about production, prices and payment modes.

At the seminar, two sides exchanged information, discussed information exchange channels and confirmed the prospect of boosting trade.

Source: HNM

Translated by Thu Nguyen