"France-Vietnam Business Forum” - the first event of Vietnam-France year held in Ho Chi Minh City has emphasized the richness and potential of economic exchange between the two countries. The forum was organized by UBIFRANCE, the French Agency for International Business Development, in the cooperation with OSEO, the French Public Bank for Small- and Medium- Scale Enterprises, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam (CCIFV), the French Consuls for External Commerce (CCE), ERAI and CCI International network. In Vietnam, the Forum received the support of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Vietnam.
As the large scale economic and commercial event promoted favourable conditions for partnership between French and Vietnamese enterprises in Vietnam, France-Vietnam Business Forum was opened by French Minister for Foreign Trade - Ms Nicole Bricq and this occasion was the opening of the France year in Vietnam. The event is on the strategy that the Minister pursued to make Asia and Vietnam one of the priorities of France’s exports.
According to the organizers, a total of more than 126 French businesses and units participated in the forum, including 91 companies, 21 expert organizations including 4 agencies namely CCIFV, CCI International, OSEO and UBIFRANCE and 14 donors, including the Sponsor Committee for France-Vietnam Year.
From all regions of France and the overseas countries, 90 small and medium enterprises and intermediate sized businesses showed the economy, the Industry and technology of France have regarded Vietnam as one of its priorities. The businesses have proven skills of French throughout the field activities, not only in the areas of traditional strength such as transport infrastructure and electricity, environment, energy efficiency, agricultural products, wine and hard liquor, the livestock industry, agricultural equipment and agricultural food, but also in new areas such as medical patents, cosmetics, telecommunications, business software, video games, tourism, distribution (commercial networks, e-commerce), luxury products or vocational training. The high quality industries in exports meet market expectations of Vietnam.
According to statistics, the total value of the exchange between France and Vietnam in 2012 reached EUR 3.3 billion, up 22 percent compared to 2011. In particular, the value of French exports to Vietnam reached EUR 613.5 million in 2012 (an increase of 7 percent, excluding the aviation sector). The main exports of France to Vietnam are pharmaceuticals (EUR 143.2 million, up 7.4 percent), industrial products (EUR 128.7 million, up 27.1 percent), milk and cheese products, chemicals, cosmetics and perfumes (EUR 71 million, up 2.1 percent), and computer products, electronics and optics (EUR 50.1 million, up 43.7 percent). This final category is the largest increase in primary commodity exports from France, thanks to special tools and measuring machines.
On investment, by the end of 2012, France was the 16th largest investor in Vietnam, with a total value of direct investment of US$ 3.1 billion following the Netherlands (US$ 5.8 billion) and China (US$ 4.7 billion), but ranked higher than Cyprus (US$ 2.7 billion), the United Kingdom (US$2.6 billion) and Germany (US$1.1 billion). French direct investment focused mainly in the field of information and communication (22 percent), other services (19 percent), production and distribution of electricity, gas and water (17 percent), industry processing (13 percent), agriculture (6 percent), hotels and restaurants (6 percent) and construction (5 percent). The rest of France’s investment volume is in the areas of distribution, banking and insurance, transport and science and technology. In terms of years, the situation is greatly improved because the total value of US$68 million for new investment licenses (up 51 percent), distributed over 33 new projects, in addition to US$57 million expansion project, France ranked 14th among investors in Vietnam.
In 2012, more than 1,200 independent small and medium enterprises of France exported to Vietnam. It’s estimated that about 300 French companies operate in Vietnam, including the underlying business of law adjustment Vietnam, founded and led by the French.
In 2012, the value of Vietnam's exports to France reached EUR2.69 billion, an increase of 37.7 percent compared to the 2011. This is the highest annual increase in export value since the early 2000s (up 34 percent from 2010 to 2011). A major change in the structure of French imports from Vietnam was that for the first time, computer products, electronics and optics (EUR 1.1 billion, up 121.7 percent, largely originating from Japan, South Korea or Taiwan, mostly assembled in Vietnam) were the main items imported from Vietnam (thanks to increased import communication equipment). This is followed by other commodities such as textiles, apparel, leather and footwear (EUR 871.3 million, up 2.5 percent), which held the number one position since the early 2000s, processed products (EUR 198.8 million, up 8.6 percent); industrial food products (EUR 136.8 million, declined 3.5 percent), mainly with canned fish products, and products of rubber or plastic or mineral products (EUR 82 million, up 12 percent).
Quynh Chi
Vietnamese
