Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called for further trade and investment cooperation between Vietnam and the US in the coming time, at a meeting with representatives of eighteen US firms in Hanoi May 4.
The 18 US groups are Abbott International, Agilent, Alcoa, Apco Worldwide, Boeing Company, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Exxon Mobil, Ford Motor, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, JHPIEGO, Raytheon International Inc, Time Warner, UPS, Vietnam Partners and Universal Telecom Services, Inc.
“The prospects for higher and sustainable economic growth in Vietnam in the post-WTO period and the development of Vietnam-US relations mean big opportunity for US firms to boost trade and investment ties with Vietnam in the time to come,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
At the meeting, which was also attended by US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael W. Marine, the US firms said Vietnam is now the most attractive destination for foreign investors in the region.
They said they are very interested in trading with and investing in Vietnam, and expressed their hope for more measures from the Vietnamese government further improving the business environment and encouraging foreign investment.
The dialogue with the Vietnamese leader was one of many activities of the US businesses in Vietnam. During the two-day visit to Vietnam from May 3, the biggest ever US delegation also took part in “Vietnam - a bright future for US businesses” forum, organized by the US-ASEAN Trade Council in coordination with the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry.
At the forum many US firms expressed investment interest in infrastructure, oil and gas, energy, hi-tech, education and training, and communications projects in Vietnam. Some who already have investment projects in Vietnam said they would consider operation expansion in the coming time.
The US firms affirmed that Vietnam’s WTO entry and its Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) would create opportunities for them.
Last year, US companies invested US$638.6 million in 47 projects in Vietnam, ranking fourth among foreign investors in the country.
Last year, two-way trade reached nearly US$9.7 billion, up from US$8 billion in 2005, of which, Vietnam exported around US$8.56 billion worth of goods to the US. (The People, Vietnam Economic Times)
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