Highlighting trade counselors’ role

Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Ukraine Ho Trung Thanh

Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Vu Tien Loc:
Trade counselors must be key advisors in developing institutions

Trade counselors must contribute to promoting institutional reforms, improving competitiveness and strengthening integration into the world economy. They must be key advisors of the government and the state in building and developing institutions thanks to experience gained from the world leading economies.

Trade counselors should actively seek partners to promote export-import activities and investment. Foreign small and medium-sized enterprises will be Vietnam’s main partners in the coming time as big corporations and companies with large financial capacity and professional apparatus can find Vietnam’s business and investment information by themselves without any support from trade offices.

Dong Thap People’s Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyen Thanh Hung:
Trade counselors have contributed to promoting exports

Dong Thap Province’s exports reached US$777.71 million in 2015, an increase of 2.68 percent compared to 2014 thanks to greater efforts of departments, agencies and businesses and positive support of trade counselors.

To expand cooperation and promote exports in the coming time, the province proposes to the government to increase funding for trade promotion activities. If these activities are not being strengthened, businesses cannot catch up opportunities provided by free trade agreements.

Adding more resources for trade offices abroad is necessary in order to ensure the best support for domestic businesses. With the current resources, Vietnamese trade offices abroad are able to maintain their presence, while funding for image advertisement and event organization is not enough, leading to lower efficiency.

The province is willing to promote investment attraction in high-tech agriculture in order to bring local outstanding products to a higher level, meeting international economic integration requirements.

Vietnamese Trade Counselor in the Republic of Korea Chu Thang Trung:
Optimistic trade and investment prospects

Thanks to greater efforts of the two governments and the Vietnamese Trade Office in the Republic of Korea, trade and investment cooperation has recorded strong growth in recent times. Trade turnover between the two countries reached US$36.5 billion in 2015. To achieve remarkable results, the trade office organized many activities to promote links between the two business communities. In particular, Vietnamese goods have entered the Republic of Korea thanks to distribution systems such as Lotte Mart.

The Republic of Korea has become a leading investor in Vietnam with many large investment projects which have focused on cities and provinces such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen and Nghe An.

The Republic of Korea sees Vietnam as one of attractive investment destinations in Asia-Pacific. In particular, the Korea-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement will provide opportunities for trade and investment growth in the coming time.

Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Ukraine Ho Trung Thanh:
Trade growth opportunities remain huge

Ukraine and Vietnam have the relationship for a long time. The two countries have signed many comprehensive partnership agreements in several fields. In particular, economic relations between the two countries have recorded good growth in recent years.

To catch up trade growth opportunities, the Vietnamese Trade Office in Ukraine in cooperation with the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine have organized many programs and events in order to provide the latest information in terms of mechanisms and policies when investing in Ukraine for domestic businesses.

Around 100 Vietnamese businesses are operating in Ukraine and more than 10,000 people live here. Together with greater efforts of Vietnamese agencies and businesses in Ukraine, it will be a big opportunity to help Vietnamese goods enter the market.

Nguyen Hoa & Nguyen Phuong