In his opening speech, Chairman of the HCMC Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Phung Cong Dung mentioned the implementation of Decision No.1797/QD-TTg about the project ‘Mobilizing Overseas Vietnamese to Introduce, Consume, and Develop Distribution Channels for Domestic Products Abroad in the 2020-2024 Period’, aiming at redesigning businesses methods of domestic enterprises and seeking new business opportunities.
Deputy Secretary of HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai – Head of the HCMC Steering Committee for the campaign ‘Vietnamese People Use Vietnamese Goods’ – commented that in the last 10 years, there have been a shift in awareness and consuming habits of city dwellers towards using domestic goods. More and more Vietnamese businesses are able to manufacture merchandise of high quality and competitiveness to serve both the national and international markets.
“The Central Government is fully aware of the important role of overseas Vietnamese people in promoting domestic goods in global markets via suitable distribution channels”, said Deputy Secretary Hai.
He suggested that related state departments and agencies in HCMC actively implement Memoranda of Understanding between Vietnam’s management units and distribution systems directed by overseas Vietnamese to further promote the consumption of domestic goods and catch valuable export opportunities.
He added that the HCMC Committee for Overseas Vietnamese should praise any overseas Vietnamese individuals with impressive contribution to expanding these channels in their own countries, or those timely detecting and reporting counterfeit Vietnamese goods to Vietnamese representative agencies abroad in order to protect the prestige of made-in-Vietnam merchandise.
Most business representatives and experts in the seminar mentioned new consumption tendencies in picky markets of developed countries and the fierce competitions among nations in the region. It is advised that domestic enterprises adjust their product package to be more sophisticated and environmentally friendly as well as improving product quality to increase the competitiveness, save overhead costs, and avoid soaring trade remedy lawsuits.
Prof. Nguyen Dinh Phu from the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association in the US informed that there are now over 5 million overseas Vietnamese in the nation, which is a lucrative market for domestic goods. He therefore committed to forming a link between businesses of the two countries via the participation in trade promotion activities like product exhibitions, trade conference, and the legal consultation so as to minimize cases of becoming the target of trade remedies, especially in origin-related issues. He also promised to help Vietnamese companies to join in the supply chain in the US, particularly for intermediate raw materials for hi-tech production in California.
Nguyen Ngoc My from Australia committed to create showrooms to display made-in-Vietnam merchandise in Darwin, Sydney, and Melbourne. He will launch monthly ‘Business and Golf Tours’ for businesses and investors to learn more about investment chances or study opportunities for children in Australia.
Making a similar commitment is Ho Van Lam from Thailand, who has already opened an exhibition center for high-quality Vietnamese goods in the country. Dr. Tra My from China also promised to support needy Vietnamese businesses free of charge to promote their products on popular social networks in China and display goods in malls sited in Yantai City
Many overseas businesspeople committed to help domestic companies to put their merchandise on popular international e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Alibaba to expand the market.
Vice Chairwoman of HCMC People’s Committee Phan Thi Thang highly appreciated all contribution and suggestions of overseas Vietnamese business communities for the sake of fostering the consumption of made-in-Vietnam goods in other countries, and then sustainably, stably developing high-value supply chains.
