Furniture traders seek more overseas marketss
Furniture traders seek more overseas marketss
Traders of furniture products are concerned that their businesses will not continue to grow this year if they don't have more opportunities to increase exports.
The furniture industry considers it has the potential to grow over the next two years with the coming into being of the Asean Economic Community at the end of this year, which it sees as a good opportunity to increase exports within the region.
But a representative of Khamphone Furniture, Ms Mimee, said recently that furniture traders don't have the chance to exhibit their products at enough fairs at home and overseas.
She explained that furniture makers are able to show their goods once a year at the Wood and Furniture Exhibition at Lao-ITECC in Vientiane, which took place last month, but that was not sufficient.
There are several small traders selling quality furniture but they lack the means to exhibit their goods overseas.
She said that furniture sales grew steadily last year compared to 2013 and the trend was expected to continue this year, so she hoped the Lao Furniture Association would be willing to help furniture traders gain greater access to overseas markets.
The association should hold exhibitions more frequently or set up a centre for furniture traders to show and promote their products to attract buyers, both locals and expats living in Laos.
Ms Mimee believed this would help some small furniture traders to be able to survive.
She noted at the recent exhibition at Lao-ITECC there were more visitors showing interest in her furniture and that of other traders, which suggests that the quality of Lao furniture means it can be successfully exported as well as expand into the local market.
“At present small furniture traders can produce more than enough goods to sell both at home and within the region, but they lack the chance to go further overseas, so they are asking the association to aid them in expanding into new markets.”
