Curtain up for Ha Noi textiles summit
Curtain up for Ha Noi textiles summit
Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai yesterday told the annual conference of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) that the Government wanted the garment and textile sector to play a crucial role in the country's industrial structure by 2020.
Hai, speaking at the opening of the two-day conference in the capital city, said he appreciated the significance of the Viet Nam Textile and Garment group (Vinatex) joining ITMF.
He said the Prime Minister had already approved a development strategy that focused on strongly improving support industries, producing raw materials and raising added value for textile products. Vinatex, which is co-hosting the conference, was the core of this plan.
Hai said the weaknesses and difficulties facing the local garment and textile sector could be overcome by trying to improve Viet Nam's role in the international market.
The conference theme, Challenges for the Global Textile Industry Present and Future, reflects the fact that the global textile industry faces a difficult business environment.
The gathering has drawn more than 250 high-level experts from around the world. They will discuss the volatile raw-material markets, sovereign-debt crises, currency disputes, political instabilities, the blocked Doha trade round, looming protectionism, growing world population, demographic changes, and climate change. All have far reaching implications for global textiles.
Hai said the weaknesses and difficulties facing the local garment and textile sector could be overcome by trying to improve Viet Nam's role in the international market.
In particular, the garment and textile sector was facing a drop in garment and textile contracts due to the global economic downturn, price changes for raw materials, rising input costs and poor design capacity.
Hai said this was due partly to a lack of support industries. Therefore, the conference was an opportunity for domestic spinning and weaving manufacturers to learn and exchange experiences.
Vu Duc Giang, chairman of Vinatex, said after a year's membership of ITMF, Vinatext had connected directly with textile industry in many countries and had been updated with many new technical advances in the production of yarn and fabric.
He said the conference was an opportunity for Vinatex to introduce Vietnamese garments and textiles to customers around the world and call for investments.
Bashir H.Ali Mohammad, president of ITMF, said Viet Nam's garment and textile industry took second place in United States market share after China.
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