Commercial Counsellors and Businesses

Commercial Counsellors and Businesses

The meeting between Commercial Counsellors and businesses in Ho Chi Minh City on March 14, 2003 organised by Trade Ministry and VCCI was attended by over 400 representatives from business associations in the Southern provinces. The counsellors were asked to provide essential information on foreign markets and partners to accelerate the international economic integration.

Assistance needed

Ms Le Hai Lieu, Director of Duc Thanh Wood Processing Joint Stock Company expressed the wish to develop good relationship between the counsellors and businesses. Information on foreign markets and partners are most needed. She proposed the Trade Ministry to make a list of Vietnamese exporters so that the counsellors can send information to correct addresses.

Mr Nguyen Duy Khien, commercial counsellor to the US said that he has no information on profit-making and loss-making enterprises so as to promote business activities. He lacks even catalogues of Vietnamese companies to introduce to potential partners.

Replying to the question on fruit and vegetable export to Japan, Mr Nguyen Trung Dung, commercial counsellor to Japan said that Japan is a great potential market for fruit and vegetables. The main consumers are aging people above 65 making up 30 per cent of the population, while the price is low in Vietnam and high in Japan. Furthermore, the two governments have reached agreement on exporting Vietnamese fruit and vegetables to Japan and the Japanese government has financed the training of Vietnamese inspectors.

For her part, Ms Nguyen Thi Ngo, Director of Hoang Le Co., Ltd, asked the Trade Ministry to provide correct information and assist in marketing Vietnamese products.

More information

Mr Khien said that due to the limit of time and budget, the counsellors cannot perform their tasks as well as they would like. The counsellors can provide adequate information on policies and laws of foreign countries and partly on partners. But the verification of partners requires close co-operation of businesses at home, especially on hiring consultants and buying information. So far, such co-operation and updating of information falls short of demand. With first hand information from Mr Nguyen Trung Dung, Vietnamese businesses came to know that there is a show-room in Japan and their products are already on display.

Mr Pham The Rue, Vice Minister of Trade pointed out three main tasks of the trade sector: increasing the 2005 export value to USUSUS$31.5 billion to attain the growth rate of 16 per cent in 5 years; developing a stable domestic market to secure economic growth; and concluding the negotiations for WTO admission.

• PV