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. They included representatives from diplomatic and consular agencies of foreign countries in Vietnam; foreign trade promotion organizations in Vietnam; the Departments of Industry and Trade of the southern provinces of Central Laos; foreign businesses and distributors in Vietnam; Vietnamese trade offices in China, Japan, the Russian Federation, Indonesia; and various associations and businesses. In addition, there were representatives from Danang’s associations and businesses; and 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 of the Central – Highlands regions, especially in the dynamic economy of Central Vietnam. It also serves as an essential gateway to the sea for the Central – Highlands regions and countries such as 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 a connected transport system within the region and nationally. It is one of the few localities with both an international seaport and an international airport and is located along the country’s arterial roads. These advantages have helped the city develop its economy, trade, services, and tourism.
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. They provide strategic orientations to build and develop Danang in the long term into one of the significant economic and social centers of the country and Southeast Asia. It will be a coastal city and an international maritime urban area, serving as the nucleus of the urban chain and the growth pole of the Central – Highlands regions’ key economic region. The resolutions also aim to pilot 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 Central Vietnam, acting as a gateway for receiving and transporting goods with localities and countries in the region and internationally.
With the above advantages, Danang has much potential and strength in attracting investment and developing the production and export of various products, including machinery, electricity, electronics, seafood, textiles and garments, handicrafts and wooden products, building materials, rubber and plastics, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, and supporting industries for aerospace, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products.
Mr. Cuong shared that the trade and service sector is a bright spot, contributing positively to the city’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 support programs to help businesses promote and consume products and expand consumption markets. The city is also developing policies to support businesses, develop logistics services, create a favorable platform 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 businesses, 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 businesses in expanding markets and finding orders and partners is essential and meaningful in the current context.
“The Danang Trade Connection and Export Promotion Conference 2024 is held to effectively implement the Project ‘Promoting the Direct 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,” said Mr. Cuong.
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, and 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 businesses. They aim to expand both traditional and modern distribution channels, focusing on exploiting online channels and e-commerce for Vietnamese goods in the domestic and international markets.
At the same time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is also actively promoting and diversifying export markets for Vietnamese products with the strong participation of the Vietnamese trade office system in all regions worldwide.
In the coming time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will continue to accompany localities, especially Danang City, to promote export promotion, trade promotion, and trade connection activities. These efforts will help resolve difficulties for manufacturers and exporters in the context of complex developments in the domestic and international consumption markets. As a result, it will support the consumption of the city’s key products in both the domestic and international markets.
At the conference, enterprises were informed about the European and American markets and recommendations for businesses by representatives of diplomatic and consular agencies of foreign countries in Vietnam and foreign trade promotion organizations in Vietnam. They also learned about 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.
The delegates also exchanged and discussed issues related to distribution, import and export, and logistics of Danang.
As part of the conference program, 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 between Danang enterprises and export enterprises and organizations on supply and service exchange cooperation.
