On August 2, at Furama Resort Danang, the Department of Trade Promotion (Ministry of Industry and Trade) and the People’s Committee of Danang City organized the Danang Trade Connection and Export Promotion Conference 2024.
More than 250 delegates attended the conference directly, and many others participated online. The participants included representatives from diplomatic and consular agencies of foreign countries in Vietnam; foreign trade promotion organizations in Vietnam, the Department of Industry and Trade of the southern provinces of Central Laos, … enterprises, and foreign distributors in Vietnam; Vietnamese trade offices in China, Japan, the Russian Federation, Indonesia, and business associations; domestic and foreign business associations; enterprises in Danang City; enterprises in the fields of production, export, distribution, and logistics … from the Central – Highlands regions.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Mr. Tran Chi Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Danang City People’s Committee, informed the domestic and international delegates that Danang is one of the five centrally-controlled cities, holding a crucial position in the politics, economy, culture, society, and national defense and security of the Central – Highlands regions, especially in the dynamic economic region of Central Vietnam. It also serves as an essential gateway to the sea for the Central – Highlands regions and the countries of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar to Northeast Asian countries through the East-West Economic Corridor.
Although Danang is not extensive, it has geographical advantages, a high-quality workforce, well-developed infrastructure, and interconnected transportation systems within the region and the country. It is one of the few localities with an international seaport and airport and is located along the nation’s vital routes, … which helps the city develop its economy, trade, services, and tourism more conveniently.
Resolution No. 43-NQ/TW of the Politburo on constructing and developing Danang city by 2030, with a vision towards 2045, and most recently, Resolution No. 136-NQ/TW dated June 26, 2024, of the National Assembly on organizing the urban administration and piloting some specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Danang city, are political decisions of the Party. These resolutions set out strategic orientations to build and develop Danang in the long term into one of the country’s and Southeast Asia’s major economic and social centers, … an international port city and coastal urban area, acting as the nucleus of the chain of urban areas and the growth pole of the Central – Highlands key economic region; piloting the development of a free trade area and an international financial center on a regional scale; and a regional logistics center, …
Accordingly, Danang aims to form a logistics service supply chain in the Central region, serving as a gateway for cargo receiving and transportation with localities and countries in the region and internationally.
With the above advantages, Danang still has much potential and strength in attracting investment and developing the production and export of various products, including mechanics, electricity, electronics, seafood, textiles and garments, handicrafts and wooden products, construction materials – rubber – plastics, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment; supporting industry products for the aerospace sector, processing and manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products, …
Mr. Cuong shared that the trade and service sector is a bright spot, contributing positively to Danang’s overall economic growth. The city’s export and service activities show signs of recovery and improvement. It is estimated that in the first six months of 2024, the total two-way import and export turnover reached nearly $1.6 billion, up 11.3% compared to the same period in 2023.
In 2024, with a target of an 8% increase in GRDP and a 6% rise in export turnover compared to 2023, Danang is striving to implement trade promotion activities and diversify programs to support enterprises in promoting and consuming products and expanding consumption markets. The city is also developing policies to support enterprises, develop logistics services, create a favorable foundation to attract import and export goods circulating in the city, boost domestic and foreign consumption, control prices, and stabilize the market.
Mr. Cuong also acknowledged that the global economic situation is still challenging, and market demand has not recovered strongly. Vietnamese enterprises, in general, and import-export enterprises, in particular, face difficulties in production and business and seeking partners and orders. Therefore, organizing trade connection activities and supporting enterprises in expanding markets and finding orders and partners is essential and meaningful in the current context.
“The organization of the Danang Trade Connection and Export Promotion Conference 2024 aims to implement effectively the Project ‘Promoting the Participation of Vietnamese Enterprises in Foreign Distribution Networks by 2030’ and the Action Program to implement the ‘Strategy for Import and Export of Goods until 2030’ by the Prime Minister,” Mr. Cuong added.
He believes that with the coordination of the Department of Trade Promotion, the European-American Market Department, the active support of Vietnamese trade offices abroad, trade promotion agencies, and the response of diplomatic agencies, international organizations, and the business community, there will be an effective support channel for enterprises to connect successfully with domestic and foreign partners. This will create a driving force to promote the production, business, import, and export activities of enterprises.
Delivering the conference’s keynote speech, Mr. Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Trade Promotion Department, said that the Ministry of Industry and Trade has directed its units to cooperate closely with relevant agencies, organizations, and enterprises. They aim to expand both traditional and modern distribution channels, focusing on exploiting online channels and e-commerce for Vietnamese products in the domestic and international markets.
Besides, the Ministry of Industry and Trade also promotes and diversifies export markets for Vietnamese products with the strong involvement of the Vietnamese trade office system in all regions worldwide.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to accompany the localities, especially Danang City, to promote export and trade promotion activities and trade connections. These efforts will help resolve difficulties for manufacturers and exporters in the context of complex developments in the domestic and international consumption markets. It will also support consuming the city’s key products in the domestic and international markets.
At the conference, enterprises were informed about the European and American markets and recommendations for enterprises; the potential market for agricultural, aquatic, and food products in China; the advantages, difficulties, and cooperation prospects between Vietnamese and Russian enterprises; aspects of business start-ups in Russia; potential opportunities and some notes when exporting to Japan; information about the Indonesian market and business cooperation opportunities, … by representatives of diplomatic and consular agencies of foreign countries in Vietnam and foreign trade promotion organizations in our country.
The delegates also exchanged and discussed issues related to distribution, import and export, and logistics of Danang.
Within the conference’s framework, there was an exhibition introducing export products of 90 enterprises from Danang and some localities in the Central – Highlands regions. There was also a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and export promotion between enterprises of Danang City and export enterprises and organizations on supplying products and exchanging services.
