Positive outlook ahead as Vietnamese firms look to increase exports via Amazon

During her opening speech at a recent seminar held to discuss cross-border e-commerce, Tran Thi Phuong Lan, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade, said local businesses have encountered numerous difficulties caused by the delay of export orders, coupled with the slow progress of customs clearance.

Lan added that Hanoi’s export turnover during the opening ten months of the year has witnessed an annual increase of only 0.1% to US$13.194 million, the lowest figure over the past 10 years.

She also underlined the importance of online sales channels as a means of increasing exports for businesses amid this challenging period.

Sharing this point of view, Nguyen Thi Minh Huyen, deputy director of the Department of E-Commerce and Digital Economy, pointed that through e-commerce platforms domestic firms are able to gain access to customers based in fastidious markets such as North America, Japan, and Europe in a fast manner. 

Tran Xuan Thuy, director of Amazon in Vietnam, outlined that cross-border e-commerce represents an effective channel for local enterprises, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as they export goods to the global market, especially in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Thuy therefore advised local firms to improve their knowledge relating to cross-border e-commerce channels, devise coherent business strategies, whilst simultaneously developing their brands in order to successfully export goods to these demanding markets.

Do Quang Vinh, CEO of T&T Group's branch in the United States, emphasized that enterprises must devise plans based around the actual needs of each export market, their various tax incentives, and the online shopping habits of customers via Amazon to boost exports.

The event attracted roughly 300 businesses that are keen to increase their export of goods via Amazon's online retail channel.