A workshop will take place in Hanoi on July 30 to discuss cross-border e-commerce with Amazon and opportunities for exports, according to the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade.

The event will be hosted by the department in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s e-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency, the Hanoi Small and Medium Enterprises Association, and Amazon Global Selling.

It forms part of Hanoi’s plan on e-commerce development this year, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade Tran Thi Phuong Lan told a press conference on July 24.

COVID-19 has triggered travel restrictions worldwide, creating difficulties for Vietnamese exporters to ship their goods by air or sea. Trading on Amazon, however, would remove barriers and help them boost shipments, Lan said.

According to a report from the WTO, the pandemic has made it clear that e-commerce can be not only an important tool or solution for consumers during a crisis but also an economic driver for both domestic growth and international trade.

Lan added that her department will coordinate with the MoIT to help local producers seek alternative sources of materials overseas and new markets, as well as make the most of new-generation free trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA).