VCCI and Foreign Relations

In the past four years, VCCI has planned and organized the visits of over 300 foreign delegations with nearly 12,000 business peoplevisiting Vietnam and nearly 100 Vietnamese business missions with some 4,500 entrepreneurs going abroad for market surveys and seeking business-investment opportunities, as well as nearly 600 seminars and business meetings with over 85,000 participants. Those activities have further reaffirmed the VCCI “brand” as representative of the business community, trade and investment promotion and Vietnam’s reputation in the world.

 

VCCI has organized business forums on the occasion of the visits of Vietnamese leaders to other countries, on average of dozens of forums a year, bringing business opportunities for Vietnamese and foreign partners the world over. A series of forums and business councils have been established in recent years with the US, Russia, China, Japan, the EU and Africa, assisting international integration in the frameworks of WTO, APEC, and ASEAN. VCCI starts advising the government on international trade negotiations, such as on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. As a result, trade and investment promotion activities initiated by VCCI increased on average of over 30 percent, with higher efficiency.

 

 An emphasis in Vietnam export policy is to focus on new emerging markets of great potential. In import-export activities, there are two positive tendencies in Vietnam trade partnership: deeper approach to new markets in Africa and more balanced trade with main partners.

 

Although total export value to Africa is only US$3.1 billion this year, the rate increased by 131 percent, most notably by 250 percent in South Africa. VCCI has assisted by organizing the Vietnam-Africa-Middle East business forum in late August, 2010 in Hanoi with the participation of hundreds of businesses. VCCI President Vu Tien Loc said that the forum will take place every year to assist Vietnamese businesses develop cooperation with Africa and the Middle East. Exports to this market are rice, agricultural products, and foods and recently cement. Viettel group is the pioneer business of Vietnam investing in Africa. Meanwhile, New Zealand is among new export markets of Vietnam, with a high growth rate of 29 percent.

 

All main export markets of Vietnam have recorded higher growth rates, for instance, with South Korea a 64 percent increase in export and 34 percent in import, China 58 percent and 21 percent respectively, Japan 37 percent and 14 percent, and the EU 48 percent and 18 percent.

 

In 2015, ASEAN will establish the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN will be unified in market and production and become a stronger part the global chain of supply. Therefore, intra-regional linkage to make the best use of opportunities is a strategic orientation for the foundation of AEC.

 

VCCI has also increased its activities in ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) to promote connectivity and cooperation among the ASEAN business community. As a representative of big enterprises in public-private relationship, ASEAN BAC has strong and efficient activities promoting dialogue and connectivity in the ASEAN business community, for instance, coordinating closely with ASEAN CCI and ASEAN in developing the ASEAN green land programme to accelerate cargo transport in the region.

 

Commenting on the efficiency of the programme, Dr Doan Duy Khuong, VCCI Vice President and ASEAN BAC Chairman, said that due to the development gap between six old ASEAN members and the four CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam), the “green land” programme cannot immediately benefit businesses of CLMV. However, CLMV can learn from the experience for future application. VCCI, for its part, will serve as a bridge for Vietnamese businesses in the logistics sector, supporting industries, transport associations relating to logistics management of ASEAN with experienced partners such as JETRO, ASEAN and East Asia Economic Research Institute (ERIA).

 

According to experts, links in the ASEAN business community will create business value chains in the region, playing the key role in settling trade barriers and assisting late businesses to access to new markets as well as trade protection.

 

In September 2011, President Truong Tan Sang led business delegations to visit Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia. The visits reaffirmed the policy of Vietnam, respecting the cooperation with other ASEAN members. At the Vietnam-Philippines Business Forum organized by VCCI, a series of agreements were signed between businesses of the two countries, such as an agreement between Long An Export Food Processing Company and Mayon Development Company on rice and cashew nuts worth US$23 million, and an agreement between Viet Thai International JSC and IP Venture on franchise cooperation in foods and drinks worth US$25 million. VCCI and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) also signed agreement on trade and investment cooperation. Two more business forums were organized by VCCI in Singapore and Malaysia during the visits of President Truong Tan Sang to the two countries.

 

In November 2011, VCCI successfully organized the Vietnam-US Business Forum in Hawaii when President Truong Tan Sang attended the APEC Summit. The summit was regarded as having strong impact on Asian countries, with deeper US relationship in the most dynamic region of the world. President Truong Tan Sang attended the forum with the participation of nearly 200 businesses of the two countries. The forum was co-sponsored by VCCI and Hawaii University.

 

For VCCI, 2011 was an eventful year with hopes for even closer cooperation with the Vietnamese business community. In 2012, with more challenges to business community, VCCI will make new efforts to improve the image of Vietnam and assist the business community with new opportunities in the world market.