To provide information on the objective of enhancing export competitiveness for Vietnamese businesses in the 2015-2020 period, assess Vietnam’s competitiveness in the US market, give advice to Vietnamese exporters, anticipate online export trends and the importance of e-commerce application as a tool for international importers to source supply sources, are the objectives of a workshop called “Enhancing Vietnamese exporter competitiveness with e-commerce.” The workshop was organised in Hanoi by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Alibaba Group in Vietnam, and OSB Investment and Technology Joint Stock Company.
Mr Le Van Loi. Director of the Institute for Information Technology for Business (VCCI-ITB), said information technology application, that is to say e-commerce application to international trade, plays a very important role in enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese exporters. When Vietnam is speeding up its international integration, businesses must improve their own competitiveness to survive and grow. Given current trends and its advantages, information technology in general and e-commerce in particular will be effective tools for businesses to boost up their capabilities.
He said e-commerce is the key to speed up exports for Vietnamese enterprises. Thus, in the current context of international economic integration, the business community, especially SMEs, needs to quickly apply e-commerce to edge up competitiveness.
Mr Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of Export-Import Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said, according to survey data by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, many companies have approached e-commerce and many taken e-commerce as their main business lines. However, not a few companies disinterest in e-commerce.
Mr Thomas Treutler, Deputy Chairman of Information Technology and Communications Trade Department under the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, said Vietnam’s goods can compete with foreign rivals, even the US market. He reminded Vietnamese companies to look into corporate profile, leadership and business history of target partners and write detailed and careful contracts when they make inroads into the US market because US companies respect the law and stand ready to file safeguard sues. If Vietnamese companies are caught in these lawsuit cases, it will take them much time and money. Particularly, regarding intellectual property, they must carefully study and select domain names, trademarks and personal information confidentiality.
He added that e-commerce has been present in Vietnam since the early days. Vietnamese people learn and grasp information technology very quickly but they lack proper care to develop it.
Also at the conference, specialists underscored online export trends and the importance of e-commerce application as a tool for international importers to source supply sources. Mr Tran Xuan Thuy, Vietnam Director for Alibaba Group, confirmed that e-commerce is the key to boost Vietnam’s exports in the future while citing success stories at Alibaba Group’s in the past 16 years and its B2B e-commerce floor.
Attending companies exchanged with specialists and solutions providers on their issues before launching or advancing e-commerce.
Anh Mai
Vietnamese
