Viet Nam-Taiwan business relations remain short of potential: experts
Viet Nam-Taiwan business relations remain short of potential: experts
There remains massive untapped potential for co-operation between Vietnamese and Taiwanese firms in setting up manufacturing supply chains, experts have said.
Speaking at a forum in HCM City on July 2, Vu Tien Loc, chairman of the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said total investment by Taiwanese firms in Viet Nam exceeds US$31 billion and is mainly in manufacturing, significantly contributing to the country’s annual exports, especially of garment-textile and footwear.
Viet Nam has become attractive to foreign investors, including those from Taiwan, and the country hopes Taiwanese businesses would further invest in part-supply industries and help local firms join the global value chain, he said.
Viet Nam has signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with various countries and blocs, and this has resulted in tax incentives that Viet Nam could benefit from when exporting to them, and Taiwanese enterprises could develop products in co-operation with Vietnamese partners to ship to these markets, he said.
Wang Wen-yuan, chairman of Taiwan’s Chinese National Federation of Industries, said Viet Nam is an investment destination Taiwan has targeted in its development strategy, adding that it wants to invest more in garment-textile, footwear and supporting industries.
Vu Duc Giang, chairmain of the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), highlighted Taiwanese enterprises’ contributions to Viet Nam’s garment-textile export revenues in recent years.
VITAS hopes to soon set up an information exchange channel with Taiwanese garment-textile firms in Viet Nam to link the local garment-textile sector with raw material sources, he said.
He called on Taiwanese businesses to increase investments in yarn, weaving and dyeing in Viet Nam to ease the country’s shortage of these materials.
Zhan Zhengtian, president of the Taiwan Textile Federation, described Viet Nam as an attractive destination for Taiwanese garment-textile investors.
It is also Taiwan’s biggest garment-textile partner who buy products worth of more than $2 billion a year, he said.
Viet Nam’s increasing demand for feedstock is an opportunity for Taiwanese firms to step up links with local partners and develop a supply chain, he said.
Besides, Taiwan can help Viet Nam with dyeing and weaving technologies, and high-quality personnel training in fashion design and product development, helping raise added value to Vietnamese garments-textiles, he said.
