Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — Firms should speed up thedigital transformation as an effective solution to expand exports in thecontext of rising cross-border e-commerce, according to the Ministry ofIndustry and Trade.

Dang Hoang Hai, Director of the ministry’s e-Commerce andDigital Economy Agency, said that together with opportunities from thenew-generation free trade agreements, the trend of shifting from traditionalbusiness models to digital-based is becoming common.

Digital transformation is considered an effective solutionfor firms to penetrate and expand their export markets, Hai said, adding that itwould help firms set up a more flexible and more efficient export model.

It was forecast thatglobal online exports could touch 1 trillion USD this year, especiallyamid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hai said firms should pay attention to three factors, namelydeveloping digital platforms, digital databases and mobile websites in thedigital transformation process to boost exports.

Hai said that the ministry is implementing a number ofmeasures to support import and export activities, especially through e-commerce.

Under the national e-commerce development master plan in2021-25 and the national digital transformation programme to 2025, Vietnamidentified digital transformation as a vital process to speed up themodernisation of the distribution system, increase enterprises’competitiveness, develop the domestic market and increase exports.

Hai said the ministry was increasing the application ofinformation technology in conducting administrative procedures tofacilitate exports, such as the eCoSys system which allows onlinesubmission of certificates of origin.

According to the Multilateral Trade Policy Department, tradepromotion activities were now moving online, especially amid the COVID-19pandemic, which also helped save significant sums for businesses compared totraditional trade promotion.

Hai, however, noted that the digital transformation ofVietnamese firms was taking place too slowly.

Vietnam targeted to develop about 50,000 technology companiesnationwide to accelerate digital transformation./.