What do businesses in the Central region do to bring goods to supermarkets and increase exports?

There are still many limitations in consumption linkage.

At the Conference on Trade Promotion and Import-Export Development in the Central Region organized by the Trade Promotion Agency - Ministry of Industry and Trade in coordination with the Department of Industry and Trade of Da Nang City in Da Nang City on June 28, representatives of state management agencies on trade promotion and import-export activities pointed out the shortcomings in trade and import-export activities in the Central region, especially for agricultural products.

Mr. Le Hoang Tai - Deputy Director of the Department of Trade Promotion

According to Mr. Bui Nguyen Anh Tuan - Deputy Director of the Domestic Market Department, in reality, the restructuring of agricultural production from households to cooperatives is still slow; large-scale field linkages are "sluggish" so they cannot meet market requirements for agricultural product quality management, especially chain-based agricultural product management; agricultural products produced are not close to market signals, processing, preservation and storage are still limited; logistics infrastructure is still lacking and weak; agricultural products are highly seasonal but not well preserved; the agricultural product consumption market is not sustainable, mainly relying on traditional markets, market forecasting and analysis of output and selling prices are still weak; The thinking of producers has not met the requirements of the market economy, and the thinking of "vegetables in two rows, pigs in two pens" is still there... Notably, the consumption of agricultural products is mainly due to the main role of local independent traders and the traditional channel consumption method still plays a leading role, consumption through linked and consolidated channels only accounts for about 10% of the total consumption of agricultural products on the market, the phenomenon of contract breaking is still common;...

Mr. Le Hoang Tai - Deputy Director of the Trade Promotion Department said that in recent times, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has directed units under the Ministry to coordinate with localities, including localities in the Central region, to carry out many linkage activities including regional and inter-regional linkages with long-term stability and effectiveness. However, regional linkages in trade promotion still have certain limitations such as the infrastructure system in trade promotion in the Central - Central Highlands region is still weak, the connectivity is not high; enterprises have products with export potential but in trade promotion, market access, and export marketing are still poor.

Mr. Tran Quoc Toan - Deputy Director of Import and Export Department

What should localities and businesses in the Central region do?

Mr. Satoshi Nishikawa - Senior Director of the Northern and Central regions - AEON Vietnam Co., Ltd. said that Vietnam is AEON's second key market after Japan to promote investment and business development. AEON will open its first supermarket in the Central region of Vietnam in Hue City in September 2024 and the company is looking for suitable suppliers. AEON Vietnam representative informed that to become an AEON supplier, manufacturing units need to meet 6 minimum requirements such as no scandals on product quality; standards on factories and means of transportation; ensuring the environment; having traceability; complying with regulations on the use of pesticides.

To increase the efficiency of product consumption and increase import and export, the Deputy Director of the Domestic Market Department requested that production units and localities must perform well in production and distribution to ensure the supply of agricultural products to meet the requirements of each market; focus on expanding and developing consumption markets including domestic supply and demand connection programs, free trade agreement negotiation programs to create favorable conditions for tariffs, origin, etc.; need to develop chains linked to consumption; accelerate the implementation of "large fields"; focus on processing and branding agricultural products; continuously implement trade promotion programs; localities should study more policies to promote the construction of distribution systems and chains linked to domestic product consumption.

The representative of the Trade Promotion Agency recommended that localities in the Central region actively research and coordinate with relevant units to support businesses in promoting and participating in trade promotion programs to ensure effectiveness; build long-term strategies based on research on business needs, and take advantage of local potential.

Mr. Satoshi Nishikawa, Senior Director of Northern and Central Regions - AEON Vietnam Co., Ltd., learns about local products in the Central Highlands region.

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Toan - Deputy Director of the Import-Export Department, in the current context, export enterprises must quickly and strongly switch to official export. To do that, enterprises must meet the conditions of food safety, traceability, etc. to have a stable and sustainable export market in the coming time. "For enterprises in the Central region, it is necessary to strengthen regional linkages, how to have enough quantity and quality to meet the standards and quantity of export orders, distribution systems such as supermarkets. In addition, it is necessary to update export knowledge, improve the competitiveness of enterprises themselves" , Mr. Toan recommended.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will accompany and support businesses in the Central region to promote trade and effectively expand import and export markets.

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Toan - Deputy Director of the Import-Export Department, in the coming time, the Import-Export Department will continue to improve mechanisms and policies to create a transparent, fair and equal business environment for enterprises. In addition, the Department will coordinate to submit to the Government to develop strategies for industries and sectors such as milk, paper, steel, automobiles, electricity, etc. Issue regulations amending and supplementing legal documents to create a better operating environment for manufacturing and import-export enterprises. Unblock production and develop stable supply sources for exports as well as serving the domestic market. Provide timely information, close to the reality of market trends to enterprises; focus on promoting exports to potential markets; accelerate negotiations on new FTAs; regularly update information on foreign markets including standards and conditions in foreign markets.

Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang visited exhibition booths introducing local products in the Central Highlands region.

“In the process of implementing trade promotion activities, the Trade Promotion Agency will actively accompany and closely coordinate with localities to implement trade promotion programs most effectively,” said Mr. Le Hoang Tai, adding that in the coming time, the Trade Promotion Agency will continue to support businesses in the Central region to directly participate in international trade promotion programs, major domestic and international fairs and exhibitions; support local trade promotion centers in the Central region to organize information activities, highly connected fairs and exhibitions; enhance businesses' awareness of the role of brands; promote digital transformation in trade; diversify traditional and modern distribution channels to develop the market.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/doanh-nghiep-mien-trung-lam-gi-de-dua-hang-vao-sieu-thi-va-tang-xuat-khau-328929.html