Many Mekong Delta localities still enjoy export growth in Q1 due to COVID-19 outbreak

TIN LIÊN QUAN
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Local exporters admitted the COVID-19 outbreak had caused heavy losses to their operations.

The tra fish processing factory of Sao Mai Group in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang. (Photo: VNA)

Since the beginning of the pandemic, their export markets have been shrinking as a large number of countries, from the Republic of Korea and Japan to Europe and the US, have imposed travel restrictions to curb the coronavirus from spreading. This has subsequently interrupted the flow of goods.

Given the circumstances, the slight export growth in Q1 was encouraging, according to industry and trade authorities in the Mekong Delta.

Statistics show that Can Tho city earned 429.6 million USD from exports in Q1, up 0.3 percent year on year. An Giang province recorded an increase of 2.6 percent in export revenue to 217.31 million USD. Meanwhile, trade turnover in Hau Giang province during the period was estimated at 198.69 million USD, rising 4.49 percent year on year.

Doan Minh Triet, Deputy Director of the An Giang Industry and Trade Department, said due to COVID-19, export activities had not been as vibrant as in the same period of previous years, but a slight export increase was still an encouraging sign.

According to this department’s data, An Giang shipped 127,540 tonnes of rice worth 64.52 million USD in Q1, up 2.03 percent in volume and 1.29 percent in value year on year; 29,500 tonnes of frozen aquatic products worth 71.12 million USD, up 1.72 percent in volume and 2.18 percent in value; 2,130 tonnes of frozen fruit and vegetables worth 3.6 million USD, up 1.19 percent in volume and 2.86 percent in value; and 31.01 million USD worth of apparel, up 3.37 percent.

To meet their export targets, industry and trade departments in the Mekong Delta said they had liaised with the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the country’s overseas commercial counsellors to ask for coordination to carry out trade promotions in foreign markets.

They will also regularly learn about businesses’ demand for support and credit to help firms diversify their products and markets.

Triet said the Vietnamese trade counsellor in Singapore had agreed to coordinate with the province to organise a trip for Singaporean seafood and rice companies to An Giang to meet local exporters. Besides, the trade counsellor in Japan will also display samples and catalogues of An Giang products at the Vietnamese trade office there.

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