U.S. Companies to Visit Vietnam to Boost Trade Ties

A delegation of 23 U.S. leading businesses will tour Vietnam early next month to seek export opportunities, said the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi October 23.

 

The mission, led by U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, will be the first first-ever Cabinet Business Development Mission to the Southeast-Asian country.

 

“Our companies will focus on seeking to expand outlets in Vietnam to increase their exports via meetings with local partners, particularly those in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi”, Gutierrez was quoted as saying.

 

Mission members come from American giants such as 3M Company; Abaxis Inc.; ALCOA Inc.; Altec, Inc.; Baxter International Inc.; Carus Corporation; Century Aluminum Company; Crown Equipment Corporation; Cummins Inc.; Eaton Corporation; GANNON International; Marriott International, Inc.; the Dow Chemical Company; and the Ford Motor Company.

 

Trade between Vietnam and the U.S. increased to roughly US$9.7 billion in 2006 from US$8 billion in 2005. Vietnam exported around US$8.56 billion worth of goods, much higher than US$6.63 billion in 2005, and imported US$1.1 billion from the foreign country, down from nearly US$1.2 billion in 2005. (Pioneer, Youth)