Overseas Vietnamese business executives discuss ways to boost exports of Vietnamese products to foreign markets at a roundtable on June 1. — VNS Photo Thu Hằng

The overseas Vietnamese business community plays a vital role in expanding the distribution of Vietnamese goods globally, a recent roundtable has heard.

Quality Vietnamese goods have gradually dominated the domestic market and been increasingly accepted by consumers globally after 10 years of implementing the ‘Vietnamese people give priority to using Vietnamese goods’ campaign, Nguyễn Hồ Hải, deputy secretary of the HCM City's Party's Committee and head of the campaign steering committee, told the roundtable.

City authorities acknowledge that overseas Vietnamese business communities are important distribution channels that take Vietnamese goods to foreign markets, he said.

They are also a useful channel for Vietnamese businesses to capture information and opportunities to export their goods globally, he added.

Nguyễn Đình Phú, chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in the US, said more than two million ethnic Vietnamese live in the US.

Their average annual spending is estimated at US$27,000 per person, he said.

The overseas Vietnamese business community in the US has made great contributions to the US’s economic development, foreign investment and trade promotion, he said.

There is huge potential to boost exports of Vietnamese products to the US such as seafood, agricultural produce, textiles, footwear, and wooden products, he said.

Co-operation between the two nations in aviation and maritime logistics, goods transport and warehouse services has huge scope for development, he said.

Effective support channels

The overseas Vietnamese business community is ready to assist Vietnamese businesses with accessing trade promotion events in the US such as exhibitions and fairs and seminars, he said.

It is a valuable source of accurate information for Vietnamese firms seeking to export their goods to the US and reduce the risks in international trade, especially those related to quality, design and origin requirements, he added.

Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ, an overseas Vietnamese from Australia, said he would help enterprises and investors in Việt Nam explore opportunities to do business in his country or send their children to study there.

Trà My, president of the provisional Vietnamese Business Association in China, said the association would allow businesses in Việt Nam display their products for free at its exhibition centre in Yantai City.

She also promised to help them market their products on social media platforms in China.

Phan Thị Thắng, deputy chairwoman of the HCM City's People’s Committee, said overseas Vietnamese business communities are a huge resource for boosting exports of locally made products.

Vietnamese businesses should establish links with them for marketing their products and promoting business-to-business and business-to-customer links in foreign markets, she said.

It would also help create sustainable supply chains and distribution networks for exporting quality goods, she said.

She called on the Overseas Vietnamese Committee in HCM City to co-ordinate with overseas Vietnamese associations to encourage them to market and consume Vietnamese products abroad. — VNS