Luang Prabang eyes handicraft exports to Japan
Luang Prabang eyes handicraft exports to Japan
Luang Prabang province's Handicraft Association is keen to improve the quality of local products so more can be sold to the Japanese market.
This was the main theme of the Japanese Market Access Seminar on Lao Handicraft Products, which was supported by the Asean Japan Centre recently in Luang Prabang province.
The seminar was organised by the Promotion and Product Development Department of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in cooperation with Luang Prabang Handicraft Association and Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Vientiane.
The seminar aimed to encourage handicraft makers in Luang Prabang to seek ways to strengthen their businesses while developing handicraft products in response to the demands of customers such as tourists and especially the Japanese market.
“80 percent of Lao people live in rural areas and are involved in handicraft related production, so if they could produce and design more appealing products, this would attract more interest from the Japanese market,” an official explained.
The seminar also informed Small-Medium Enterprises how they could access funding for product development, while helping the state sector in marketing by attending exhibitions, promoting products via the internet, and supporting the One District, One Product concept.
As an example, the seminar showed some products supported by JETRO which had been on the Japanese market for several years.
According to data, in 2014-2015 Luang Prabang province reported exports to Japan valued at more than 4 billion kip, including 930 handicraft bags worth around 232 million kip.
In 2008 the value of Lao exports to the Japanese market reached US$80 million, increased to over US$100 million in 2010 and was about US$250 million last year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce
Japan was currently ranked seventh for investment in Laos, with the most popular exports to Japan being handicrafts such as fabrics and wood products, plus coffee and tea, according to a Trade and Product Promotion Department report.
