Hanoi (VNA) – The garment-textile sector has grossed over 36 billion USD in exportturnover this year, up 16.01 percent against the previous year, heard aconference in Hanoi on December 14.

Vu Duc Giang,Chairman of the Vietnam Textiles and Apparel Association (VITAS), said at theconference that this is the highest rise over the past three years, comparedwith 12.1 percent in 2015, 4.07 percent in 2016, and 10.8 percent in 2017.

In 2018, the exportturnover of clothes hit 28.78 billion USD, up 14.45 percent; while that offabric was 1.66 billion USD, up 25.5 percent; and the export values of yarnreached 3.95 billion USD, up 9.9 percent, according to Le Tien Truong, GeneralDirector of the Vietnam National Textiles and Garment Group (Vinatex).

The sector ran atrade surplus of some 17.86 billion USD throughout the year, representing ayear-on-year increase of 14.39 percent.

Giang said theVITAS has made proposals to the Government as well as relevant ministries andagencies in an effort to remove difficulties facing garment-textile businesses.

The sector hasseen rosy signs for 2019, with many businesses already receiving orders for thefirst six months and some even the whole year, with better productcompetitiveness and supply chains forecast.

Besides, the new-generationfree trade agreements Vietnam has joined will be put into place and are expectedto exert positive impacts on the production and business activities of thesector.

At theconference, the VITAS set the target of raising the export turnover to 40billion USD in 2019, up 10.8 percent and bringing trade surplus to 20 billionUSD, in turn ensuring jobs and raising incomes for 2.85 million workers.

To that end, theassociation urged businesses to join hands in implementing solutions regardinginvestment, marketing, human resources development, and sci-tech application.

It will alsobetter perform its role as the bridge between member businesses and thedomestic and foreign markets through trade promotion and cooperationactivities, as well as between businesses and State management agencies to helpremove difficulties facing firms at present.

The associationhas proposed the State continue reforming administrative procedures, conductinginspections, and creating an open business environment for enterprises.

The State shouldput forth policies to support waste water treatment at garment-textilesindustrial parks, increase personnel training, and admit wholly foreign-investedenterprises into the association to develop the supply chain and promoteexperience exchange between members, it said.–VNA