Seafood remains one of the major export items

Vietnam’s export targets a 13% increase and 108 billion USD turnover this year compared to 2011. Minister of Trade and Industry Vu Huy Hoang said that the industry will focus on economic restructuring while continuing to renew the growth model to increase productivity, create a competitive and fair environment to develop industry and trade, and step up efforts to meet higher targets set for this year. The Ministry will also work out measures to limit imports by providing the market with local-made substitutes. The ministry will also strengthen activities to help Vietnamese enterprise seek trading partners and expand markets. For the domestic market, Minister Hoang said that it is important to ensure a demand-supply balance for essential goods: “Firstly, it is important that we work more closely with other ministries and sectors to help enterprises remove difficulties and proposed to the government and the Finance Ministry solutions for loans for enterprises. Secondly, we should carry out more activities to promote trade, focusing on the products of our strength, which have potential for development. At the same time, more efforts should be made to tap potential markets which we have neglected so far”.