A webinar co-held by the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) on May 4 answered questions from producers regarding the EU and the US’s rules on the import of face masks and medical equipment.

Workers are making anti-bacterial cloth masks at
a factory of the Chien Thang Garment JSC 

COVID-19 has severely damaged the garment and textile industry, VITAS Vice President Truong Van Cam said, with exports in the first four months of this year totalling US$10.64 billion, down 6.6% year-on-year.

The sector seems likely to experience further damage in May and June as most orders are cancelled or postponed, he added.

In the wake of the pandemic ravaging the globe, many producers have shifted from garments to cloth and anti-bacterial face masks for domestic and foreign markets in order to keep production going and to minimise losses, said Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Agency of Foreign Trade.

From January 1 to April 19, Vietnam exported 415.7 million protective masks, mostly to Japan, the Republic of Korea, Germany, the US, and Singapore, earning US$63.19 million.

To export masks to the EU and the US, Vietnamese firms must obtain a CE marking and FDA certification, respectively, which indicate that a product meets the appropriate safety and environmental protection standards.

As many producers have found the process of applying for CE and FDA approval to be disconcerting, the webinar provided them with basic knowledge on quality standards and how to meet them.