Vietnam ’s exports to China shrank by 2 percent to more than 1.6 billion USD in the first five months of this year.
A wide variety of Vietnamese products will be displayed at 143 stallsduring the 6 th China-ASEAN Exposition 2009 from Oct. 20-24, includingago-iforestry products, furniture, handicrafts, medical equipment andpharmaceuticals, consumers’ goods and processed food.
Tourism and trade services will also be introduced at the exposition,said the ministry, adding that the chance is expected to help promoteVietnam’s most popular brands as well as to give its entrepreneursgreater access to distribution channels, prospective investors andpartners in China.
China now ranks the first among exporters to Vietnam and is thethird largest importer of Vietnamese goods, purchasing 4.6 billion USDworth of goods from the country in 2008, a year-on-year increase of 44percent.
There is a room for Vietnam to boost its exports of seafood, vegetable,cashew nuts, rice and electric cable to the Chinese market.
The exposition is also expected to give Vietnamese exporters anopportunity to greater access to other Southeast Asian markets, towhich Vietnam ’s exports have experienced a steep slide of 11 percentin the same period as a result of the global financial crisis.
Vietnam is now targeting Southeast Asian markets, to which thecountry will enjoy special tariff benefits, with major export productslike crude oil, rice, seafood, electronic and computer parts./.