HCM City (VNA) – Capitalising onthe network of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the US is among effective ways topromote the export of Vietnamese goods, including agricultural products, tothis major market, heard a teleconference on November 12.

The event, matching businesses in the MekongDelta with expatriate entrepreneurs in the US, was held by the Department ofExternal Relations of Ho Chi Minh City, the Business Association of OverseasVietnamese, and the Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Network in the US.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc saidtrade between the two countries is growing dynamically, creating numerouscooperation chances for their businesses. Bilateral trade has approximated 80billion USD each year, and both sides have become important trade partners ofeach other.

Connecting businesses in the Mekong Delta withVietnamese firms in the US will help tap into both sides’ advantages, he said,elaborating that the Mekong Delta is the largest rice production, aquacultureand fruit farming centre of Vietnam, and many of its localities are also takingthe lead in producing consumer goods and hi-tech products, helping to turn thisregion into one of the biggest sources of exports in the country.

Meanwhile, the US is a large and potentialmarket with increasing demand for Vietnamese goods. The Vietnamese communityhere numbers more than 2 million and owns over 300,000 business establishmentsacross the US.

Many of Vietnamese enterprises in the US arespecialised in distributing goods among the community, becoming a bridge forVietnamese goods to enter this market and helping to form a cooperation networkof overseas and domestic companies, according to Ngoc.

Nguyen Hoanh Nam, Vice Chairman of the StateCommission on Overseas Vietnamese, said Vietnamese people in the US now accountfor nearly half of the total number of overseas Vietnamese, and they areassessed as a dynamic community with strong economic capacity.

In recent years, businesses of Vietnameseentrepreneurs in the US have paid more attention to the Mekong Delta, he said,adding that connecting the two sides will help make use of the expatriates topromote exports and raise the stature of Vietnamese goods in global markets.

Expatriate entrepreneurs in the US shared theview that there remains huge potential for the export of Vietnamese goods,including the Mekong Delta’s typical products like fruits, farm produce andaquatic products, to serve not only the Vietnamese community there but alsolocal consumers.

However, they admitted, trade has yet to matchpotential and demand due to various reasons, including transportation andquality of goods.

Amy Nguyen, an importer and distributor ofVietnamese fruits in the US, said to sustainably boost exports to this market,Vietnamese producers need to control quality in all steps, from farming,purchasing, processing, packaging, and preservation to distribution.

Other businesspersons suggested a centre bebuilt to control the quality of all Vietnamese products exported to the US soas to ensure that they meet the importing country’s standards and minimisecases that may affect bilateral trade.

Bui Huy Son, Minister Counsellor in charge ofVietnam’s trade office in the US, recommended that to access this market,businesses should update themselves on its demand, learn about quality andtechnical requirements, form production connectivity, and cut down costs topromote competitiveness.

They should also have good storage andgovernance of products’ information to prevent risks, he added./.