Vietnam – Japan relationship is increasingly strengthened on the basis of friendship and sustainability, especially after the two sides signed the Vietnam – Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA). The two countries are celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2013, featured by many economic, cultural and political activities held to further deepen their special friendship.
On this occasion, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Do Thang Hai, Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the cooperation in the past four decades and plans for trade promotion activities between the two countries. Thu Ha reports.
How do you assess the close cooperation relations between Vietnam and Japan in recent years, particularly in trade and investment?
Trade and investment cooperation relations between Vietnam and Japan have made a significant growth in the past four decades. In 2012, the two-way trade turnover reached US$24.7 billion, up 16.4 percent over 2011. Japan is the third largest trade partner of Vietnam after the United States and China. It is expected that two-way trade turnover will reach US$29 billion in 2013, up 16 percent against 2012.
Notably, Vietnam and Japan’s import and export structures are complementary and basically non-competing. Vietnam’s major imports from Japan are machinery and spare parts, iron and steel for investment and production, with a considerable proportion serving Vietnam’s exporters. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s main exports to Japan include crude oil, textiles, vehicles and parts, furniture and seafood.
Regarding investment, Japan is always a top investor in Vietnam. As of March 20, 2013, Japan was the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with 1,900 projects and registered investment capital of more than US$32 billion, of which US$10.5 billion was disbursed.
What are potential investment cooperation fields for the two countries?
Since the two countries established diplomatic ties, the relations have greatly progressed in all fields like politics, economy, culture, education, science and technology.
Remarkably, more Japanese companies want to invest in supporting industries in Vietnam. Vietnam now has a manufacturer of printers and photocopiers for all leading Japanese brands. This industry also has a very important role in the industrialisation and modernisation of Vietnam, helps draw more foreign direct investment (FDI), promotes the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), creates competitive exports and helps expand the domestic market.
Regarding trade promotion, the two countries have held many cooperation, exchange and market research programmes to boost trade and investment cooperation. How do you evaluate the performance and effectiveness of these programmes?
Since 2011, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam (MoIT) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI) have also deployed the fourth phase of Vietnam – Japan Joint Initiative Programme, which consists of three main contents: Electricity; support industry development; and retail. The content of supporting industry development has obtained remarkable results as follows.
- The two sides agreed on specific product categories that Vietnam should develop and attract investments for supporting industries and agreed to focus on “sample industries” in the coming time.
- The two sides made a list of 80 companies to be supported (52 Japanese companies and 28 Vietnamese companies). Vietnam will continue to select companies operating in sample industries.
In recent years, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency has organised many programmes and seminars to promote the bilateral cooperation in product and market development research, forecasting and orientation to promote trade with Japan. Vietrade has also organised and welcomed survey and research delegations to support businesses to learn about market and promote investment.
One of cooperation contents between Vietnam and Japan is the deployment of cooperation activities with the ASEAN – Japan Trade, Investment and Tourism Promotion Centre (AJC). AJC was established in 1981 to boost ASEAN’s exports to Japan and promote investment and tourism from Japan to ASEAN countries. Up to now, AJC has 11 members, including Japan and 10 ASEAN countries. Vietnam officially joined AJC in 1998. The Government assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency – Vietrade) to be a coordinator responsible for performing cooperation activities with AJC in Vietnam. Vietrade Director is the Director of AJC Vietnam. With that role, Vietrade proactively carried out many effective cooperation programmes, especially building capacity for Vietnamese enterprises to export to Japan.
In addition, Vietrade – the lead agency of the Government of Vietnam responsible for trade promotion in the country – has established a comprehensive, effective cooperation with the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) for years. One of practical and lively cooperation activities between Vietrade and JETRO in collaboration with relevant bodies is rotational Vietnam-Japan Supporting Industries Exhibitions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. To date, four exhibitions have been organised. The fifth edition is being prepared for opening in Ho Chi Minh City in September.
Through these practical activities, businesses of the two countries have the opportunity to interact, learn and exchange skills, knowledge and technologies. Besides, Japanese companies assist Vietnamese businesses to expand targets of optimising technological benefits and applying them to products at the service of Vietnamese industries.
2013 marks the 40th anniversary of Vietnam – Japan diplomatic relations. What will the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency in particular and the Ministry of Industry and Trade in general specifically do to boost the two-way relations?
In the coming time, Vietrade will enhance its business supporting activities. In the near term, Vietrade will coordinate with JETRO and relevant agencies to organise the 5th Vietnam- Japan Supporting Industries Exhibition (SIE 2013) which concurs with two other major events, namely Japanese Monozukuri Technology Exhibition and Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2013. This will be an opportunity for business leaders and authorities to grasp and evaluate the roles and status of supporting and engineering industries in Vietnam, from which they will base on to make measures and policies to orient the development of Vietnam in the context of market economy and international economic integration.
In addition, Vietrade will focus on activities like cooperating with AJC to organise Vietnamese business delegations to Japan to attend business exchange event for handicraft, furniture and gift companies in September 2013, and host a trade and industrial transaction delegation for companies operating in supporting industries, engineering, industrial plastics, materials and other industrial products in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
