Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Industry and Trade announced at a press conference on May 3, 2024, that the 2024 Ho Chi Minh City Export Fair will be held from May 8 to 11 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) to continue the success of the 2023 Ho Chi Minh City Export Fair.
According to the General Statistics Office, in the first four months of 2024, the country’s total import-export turnover reached over 238 billion USD, an increase of 15.2% compared to the same period last year. In particular, exports reached over 123 billion USD, up 15% over the same period last year, and the trade surplus was 8.4 billion USD.
In terms of export structure, the processed industry group is estimated to have reached over 108 billion USD, accounting for 87.5%. The United States remains Vietnam’s largest export market, with an estimated value of 34.1 billion USD.
Meanwhile, in Ho Chi Minh City, the total retail sales of goods and consumer services in the first four months of 2024 reached 366,947 billion VND, an increase of 12% compared to the same period in 2023. In which, the demand for purchasing items during these four months increased significantly compared to the same period, such as: food (up 8.6%); household appliances (up 20.5%); wood and construction materials (up 29.9%); clothing (up 3.4%), etc.
According to Mr. Le Minh Trung, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Business Support and Development Center, in the first four months of 2024, business activities were dynamic. Many new enterprises were established in the trade and service sector (with the number of enterprises increasing by 8.2%, registered capital increasing by 15.8%), and promotion programs, discounts, and consumer stimulus were frequently implemented, contributing to the increase in purchasing power.
In the context that export activities are experiencing many positive changes, the demand of many markets is recovering, therefore, the 2024 Ho Chi Minh City Export Fair has doubled in scale compared to last year, up to 450 booths, and is expected to attract about 20,000 visitors, buyers.
In which, more than 80% of professional visitors are importers, traders, supermarket systems, and retail chains in major markets such as the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Korea, etc. import and retail systems, e-commerce platforms.
“Up to now, we have recorded more than 500 international enterprises registering for business connections. Notably, business delegations from India and Russia registered the most, and these international buyers have demands for agricultural products, food, furniture – handicrafts, plastics, construction materials, etc.”, said Mr. Trung.
The 2024 fair continues to focus on major export groups, including food and beverage; agriculture and aquatic products; wood – handicrafts; textiles, leather shoes, and bags; rubber – plastics; electronics – mechanics; and other service industries.
According to Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade, through exhibition activities, the fair will create opportunities for enterprises to learn, access, and innovate technology, enhancing long-term competitiveness. At the same time, it encourages Vietnamese enterprises to participate in the global supply chain, distribution, and build new close strategic cooperative relationships between Vietnamese manufacturing and exporting enterprises with foreign distribution systems in both traditional export channels and e-commerce.
“This event promises to be a bridge and a driving force to promote regional connectivity and economic development in the Southeast and Southwest regions,” emphasized Mr. Phuong.
