Hanoi (VNA) – The ninth Vietnam - Japan Supporting Industries Exhibition (SIE) and the Vietnam Manufacturing Expo (VME) opened via videoconference on September 14 night.

The events are jointly held by the Reed Tradex Vietnam, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoIT) and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

They aim to enhance the trading ties between Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises in manufacturing, industrial and supporting industries and the competitive strengths for domestic manufacturing businesses to reach out to the international markets and participate in global supply chains.

Addressing the opening of the two exhibitions, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said he believes that this series of exhibitions will continue to bring practical opportunities for businesses in the supporting industries in Vietnam to update themselves on new market trends, innovative achievements as well as new techniques and technologies, and meet with potential partners from Japan and the world.

“We hope that the organising committee will continue to maintain and create opportunities for businesses of the parties to regularly meet, exchange and cooperate with each other through exhibitions, seminars and direct trade connections via both online & onsite format in the future,” he stated.

Okabe Daisuke from the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam said that in the context of travel restrictions between countries due to the COVID-19 epidemic, digital exhibitions are expected to help domestic and foreign businesses to participate online, contributing to promoting trade between Japanese enterprises and Vietnamese enterprises, and as the two countries of Japan and Vietnam in general.

Chief Representative of JETRO in Hanoi Nakajima Takeo, emphasized that the SIE 2021 is organised with the purpose to improve the localisation rate of Japanese enterprises and strengthen the supply of components and parts.

During the two previous SIEs (2017 and 2019) in Hanoi, 136 Japanese and Vietnamese enterprises participated and achieved more than 8,500 trading agreements, the total value of contracts was 3.8 million USD, he noted, adding that this year, 12 big enterprises and 8 small and medium enterprises in transport equipment, electric-electronics and other enterprises in manufacturing and processing (stamping, mold, plating) from Japan are attending the event.

According to Nakajima, most participating Vietnamese enterprises are capable ones that have been listed in JETRO's "The Excellent Vietnamese Companies in Northern and Central Vietnam" publication, with about 30 firms joining for the first time.

Exhibitors from more than 10 countries and territories have brought over 100 brands of famous technology and machinery to the SIE and VME, which will run online until September 17 via VME website (www.vme-expo.com)./.