The country now has a commercial centre in New York and Dubai and commercial offices in 55 countries.

The Ministries of Industry and Trade and Planning and Investment are now planning to establish commercial centres in seven more countries including Russia, Germany and Singapore.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC), Truong Trong Nghia, said that ITPC plans to establish commercial centres in many other countries.

But its first priority is Cambodia and Australia, he said.

Dang Ngoc Quang, Vietnam’s former Commercial Counsellor in Dubai, said that thanks to the commercial centre in the Emirate, exports keep increasing year after year.

But establishing commercial centres is a tricky task.

A Department of Industry and Trade official said the procedures for setting up shop in foreign countries are much more stringent than in Vietnam.

Vu Kim Hanh, former director of ITPC, said that Vietnamese enterprises lack professionals with a good knowledge of the market and the capability to draft market strategies.