HCM City (VNA) - HCM City has set a goal of boosting the exportof its key products this year and beyond via trade promotion activities andassistance to enterprises.

According to a recent survey of manufacturing-processing companies conductedby the municipal statistics office, 35.7 percent of respondents believe businessand production will be better in the first quarter of 2021 than in the final quarterof 2020, while 29.9 percent predict that the number of export orders will increaseand 44.5 percent believe numbers will remain stable.

Head of the statistics office Huynh Van Hung said COVID-19 has been largelybrought under control around Vietnam, resulting in the production sector exhibitingsigns of recovery. Local enterprises, however, continue to face difficulties asmany major trading nations are yet to open their markets.

He noted that enterprises are in need of diverse and long-term supportrelating to information on importers of materials and fuel, new markets andpartners, and domestic consumption stimulus measures.

According to Nguyen Phuong Dong, Director of the municipal Department ofIndustry and Trade, despite facing myriad challenges, last year the city still sawfive goods post export turnover in excess of 1 billion USD: computers-electronicproducts and components, with 17.8 billion USD; garment-textile 4.3 billionUSD; footwear 2.2 billion USD; machinery-equipment-spare parts 2.2 billion USD;and other goods 6.9 billion USD. Together their export value accounted for 83.5percent of the city’s total.

Key export markets remained China, the US, and Japan. China imported10.5 billion USD worth of goods from HCM City last year, up 23.7 percent year-on-year.Exports to the US and Japan, meanwhile, stood at 6.7 billion USD and 2.8billion USD, down 0.2 and 16 percent, respectively, year-on-year.

Phan Thi Thang, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee, directedlocal departments and sectors to identify and introduce measures to attract FDIand official development assistance (ODA).

She highlighted the importance of improving the business climate;encouraging the establishment of new enterprises in industrial production,electronics, and IT; and building mechanisms for effective inter-sector andinter-region cooperation./.