A workshop on enhancing online export capacity for businesses organized by the Department of Industry and Trade in June 2024. Photo: H. Quan

A workshop on enhancing online export capacity for businesses organized by the Department of Industry and Trade in June 2024. Photo: H. Quan

Currently, domestic enterprises in general and enterprises in Dong Nai in particular are increasingly aware of selling products abroad, especially agricultural products, to reduce dependence on informal exports.

Great potential for development

According to the 2023 E-commerce Report of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade), in the overall picture of Vietnam's economy, e-commerce continues to affirm its position as one of the pioneering fields of the digital economy. The scale of Vietnam's retail e-commerce market reached 20.5 billion USD, an increase of about 4 billion USD (equivalent to 25%) compared to 2022. Vietnam's e-commerce growth rate is ranked among the top 10 countries with the fastest e-commerce growth rate in the world.

In Dong Nai, the province's e-commerce activities are increasingly expanding and developing quite vigorously. The province is continuously in the top 10 localities with the highest e-commerce index in the country and has had quite stable growth. Dong Nai's e-commerce index has increased from 9th in 2016 to 6th in 2023 among 63 provinces and cities nationwide. In addition, according to the Department of Industry and Trade, the province's export turnover in 2023 will reach more than 21.6 billion USD. This result helps Dong Nai always be in the top 10 provinces and cities leading the country in exports...

Last June, the Department of Industry and Trade coordinated with the Alibaba.com e-commerce platform in Vietnam to organize a workshop on Solutions to improve online export capacity to catch up with global trends for businesses.

Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Pham Van Cuong said that Dong Nai is considered a vibrant production and business market. In addition, the province has a fairly complete and developed logistics system. This is an opportunity and potential for e-commerce development in the present and future in the province. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for local enterprises to improve their online export capacity, anticipating the trend of international economic integration.

“Online export not only helps businesses expand their customer base and increase market reach, but also contributes to bringing Vietnamese brands and Dong Nai products to consumers in many markets around the world,” said Mr. Pham Van Cuong.

Deploying connections and supporting local businesses

With its existing potential and advantages, Dong Nai can strongly develop cross-border e-commerce. According to many experts, to take advantage of the potential in cross-border e-commerce and online export, the locality needs to have a long-term development plan, with connections and policies to support businesses such as: access to capital, development of logistics, production infrastructure, trade, customs clearance of goods, etc.

In addition, it is necessary to promote trade promotion activities, improve the effectiveness of propaganda, disseminate knowledge about international integration, promotion skills, and sales on cross-border e-commerce platforms; as well as proactively anticipate the "wave" of integration, respond to challenges when the online export market is increasingly expanding...

Director of Laven Group Co., Ltd. (Bien Hoa city) Dinh Thanh Thien said that recently, through domestic and international trade promotion activities, the company has participated in many activities connecting e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba... to grasp and better understand the methods, step by step finding opportunities to sell and promote products on major e-commerce platforms in the world, thereby making efforts to develop the domestic and export markets.

Mike Zhang, Country Director of Alibaba.com E-commerce Platform in Vietnam, shared that, in fact, based on detailed information on Alibaba.com, many products and industries of Dong Nai have many competitive advantages in e-commerce and online export activities. For example, the province's furniture products are sought after by many customers, especially from the US.

According to Mr. Mike Zhang, there are currently many customers who have worked with Alibaba.com for more than 10 years on cross-border e-commerce activities. Many customers and businesses have had successful experiences with Alibaba.com's platform. This helps Alibaba.com feel more confident about its business operations in Dong Nai, as well as the hope that it will help local businesses develop the market and improve their competitiveness in online export activities.

Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Pham Van Cuong added that, along with the whole country, Dong Nai is making efforts to support enterprises, cooperatives, production and business establishments to develop e-commerce, increase production efficiency, sustainable business, and develop export promotion channels... Thereby, aiming to support traders and manufacturers to minimize intermediary costs, increase the number of products and services sold to the market. At the same time, expanding the market for goods and services with modern business methods, not restricted by time and space...

According to Navy (Dong Nai Newspaper)