Handicraft industry hopes to nail 1.5 billion USD
Vietnam Economic Times, Vietnam
The handicraft industry targets 1.5 billion USD in export turnover by 2010, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Director of the ministry’s Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade), Do Thang Hai, said more trade promotions would be carried out to achieve the goal.
A total of 2,017 handicraft villages exist in the country, most of them in the north and north central provinces, employing a total of 10 million craftmen.
The sector’s turnover in recent years has increased dramatically and rose to 630.4 million USD last year. It is expected to climb to 820 million USD this year.
Hai said handicraft makers must study foreign cultural needs and market demand more carefully.
Limited language proficiency, poor negotiation skills and lack of market data hindered growth of the industry, he said.
Holding more trade exhibitions would play a key role in finding more partners and satisfying consumers’ demands, he added.
Source: Vietnam Agency