High-quality Vietnamese goods, no longer just for exports
High-quality Vietnamese goods, no longer just for exports
The Buy Vietnamese Goods campaign and a related project for domestic market development have increased the proportion of Vietnamese products in modern distribution systems to more than 80 percent. Vietnam Economic News’ Phuong Lan spoke with Le Viet Nga, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Domestic Market Department, about these achievements.
Could you tell us about the 2014-2020 domestic market development project?
Le Viet Nga, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Domestic Market Department |
The Buy Vietnamese Goods campaign and a related domestic market development project, which have been implemented since 2009 and 2014, respectively, have increased the proportion of Vietnamese products in modern and traditional distribution systems to more than 80 and 60 percent, helping connect producers with consumers, and businesses with state management agencies, socio-political organizations and localities. They have played a crucial role in ensuring sufficient supplies of essential goods since the first pandemic outbreak in early 2020. We highly appreciate retail businesses’ cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in implementing the campaign, the project and related activities. In the context of the pandemic, retailer businesses and their staff members are compared to “brave soldiers” on the market front, ensuring that goods reach consumers even during the hardest times. Businesses also played a pioneering role in sales of farm produce and other domestically made products that could not be exported due to the pandemic.
How has business thinking changed since the project was launched?
Enterprises have now acknowledged the importance of attracting consumers with product quality, application of science and technology, advanced management, pleasing design and after-sales services. Some export businesses have begun to pay attention to the domestic market with products meeting standards of discerning foreign markets. Many enterprises have formed a domestic distribution network or successfully connected with other distributors. Enterprises nowadays take the initiative in supply and demand connections. Better relations have been established between retailers and producers as well as between manufacturers and suppliers of raw materials and high-grade human resources. All these have helped increase the local content of Vietnamese goods. The product’s local content rate in the textile, garment, and leather and footwear industries, for example, has increased to over 50 percent and is expected to reach 60-70 percent in the years to come thanks to support industry development. Businesses are increasingly aware of the need to develop branding and protect their brands, participate in major events to introduce their products to domestic and foreign consumers, and work with state authorities to control trade fraud and unfair competition.
Vietnamese goods have attracted a growing number of consumers |
What are the project’s goals for the 2021-2025 period?
Having recognized the achievements of the project’s 2014-2020 phase, the prime minister has agreed to extend it for five more years. The 2021-2025 phase is integrated with socioeconomic policies and programs and will be implemented following the direction of Party committees and local authorities at all levels and with participation of businesses and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). The “Made in Vietnam - Vietnam Quintessence” program, a promotion highlight in the next five years, will promote high quality and prestigious Vietnamese brands, including those with quality certifications. Another new feature is that the Buy Vietnamese Goods campaign will be digitalized, including development of online sales and trade promotion. The market management forces will take strong action to control counterfeit and smuggled goods in particular, and trade fraud in general, to protect Vietnamese consumers and businesses.
