Ben Tre (VNA) - 🍸Thanks to efforts to intensify in-depth trade promotion, and maintain and expand export markets, the export turnover of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre hit over 1.2 billion USD in the first three quarters of 2024, up 14.02% year-on-year, and equivalent to 70% of the yearly plan.

The locality’s key exports showed significant growth compared to the same period last year, including aquatic products (up 12.3%), desiccated coconut (up nearly 14%); coconut milk (up 19%), and textiles (up 12.8%). Notably, the structure of export goods shifted positively towards increasing the proportion of refined and deep-processed industrial products with high technological content, while reducing the share of raw and processed goods.

Director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Van Be Sau said the locality’s export turnover target of approximately 1.7 billion USD in 2024 is likely to be realised, including about 500 million USD from exporting coconut products. Ben Tre has so far exported 100 coconut-based industrial products to 100 countries and territories worldwide. In the first nine months, the locality shipped 22 million coconuts at premium prices to the US, Japan, the European Union, and the Republic of Korea (RoK). The Department of Industry and Trade will collaborate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop a concentrated coconut production area, thus reinforcing the coconut value chain towards maintaining export markets, especially China, Sau stressed. Bui Duong Thuat, Director of the Mekong Fruit Export Co., Ltd in Chau Thanh district, said the business exports about 30-40 containers of fresh coconuts to 10 countries each month. It has shipped approximately 3 million fresh coconuts overseas so far this year.

Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Doan Van Danh said a delegation from China visited Ben Tre to assess and inspect local coconut-growing areas. As a result, 13 areas were accepted by the inspection team, paving the way for the locality to officially export fresh coconuts to the Chinese market in October 2024. According to Danh, Ben Tre has 133 cultivation areas that basically meet the production conditions for registering fresh coconut growing area codes, with a total area of nearly 8,400 hectares and involving over 12,800 households. Recently, Ben Tre has regularly promoted international economic integration and leveraged free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the EU – Vietnam FTA (EVFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the UK – Vietnam FTA (UKVFTA), to foster trade and exports. Each year, the local authorities organise and support businesses to participate in forums, seminars, market surveys, and trade fairs in the country and foreign markets, to seek opportunities for expanding export markets. Attention has been also paid to developing a market information system and applying information technology to collect and provide information related to domestic and international markets. The Mekong Delta locality has strengths in agricultural and aquatic products. Many products of Ben Tre such as tra fish, clams, shrimp, coconut products, and fruits are favoured by customers in China, the EU, the US, Japan, and the Middle East. To date, the province has exported goods to 130 countries and territories across the world, including demanding markets./.