HCM City seeks ways to support exporters, importers
Export revenue recorded by businesses in Ho Chi Minh City reached 44.9 billion USD last year, up only 1 percent from 2020, partially due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, heard a conference jointly held by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the municipal Department of Industry and Trade on January 18.
HCM City (VNA) – Export revenue recordedby businesses in Ho Chi Minh City reached 44.9 billion USD last year, up only 1percent from 2020, partially due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, heard a conferencejointly held by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and themunicipal Department of Industry and Trade on January 18.
The department said the value of exports to major marketslike China, the US, Japan and the European Union (EU) dropped in 2021,adding that although the southern metropolis is performing well in pandemicprevention and control, production and export-import activities have yet to befully recovered.
It reported a range of obstacles to exports regarding workforce,warehouses, high maritime transportation cost and a shortage of containers andships, plus tightened pandemic prevention and control measures rolled out inkey markets.
Le Huynh Minh Tu, deputy director of the department,said his agency will coordinate with relevant sectors and associations in thecity in trade promotion and facilitation amid COVID-19.
Under its export development project by 2025 with avision towards 2030, HCM City targets an average annual export growth of 9.5 percent in2021-2025, and 9 percent in 2026-2030. Meanwhile, total export turnover is expectedto hit 70 billion USD by 2025, and 108 billion USD by 2030.
Ann Marie Yastishock, USAID Vietnam Director, said theUS is one of the biggest markets for exporters in HCM City, noting that amongthe six cities and provinces selected for the 2018-2023 USAID Trade Facilitation Programme, HCM City is considereda strategic partner in trade facilitation. The 21.7 million USD programme promotes reform, standardisation, harmonisation and simplification of administrative procedures related to foreign trade to implement the World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and relevant policies adopted by the Government.
Dang Thai Thien, deputy head of the Supervision andManagement Division at the HCM City Customs Department, stressed the significanceof institutional reform, digital transformation and the national one-stop shopportal to boost the city’s export.
The business community voiced their hope to receive support in renewing technology and promoting trade abroad, as well as in accessing free trade agreements to which Vietnam is a member./.
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A view of the conference (Photo: VNA) 
