Seminar helps boost Vietnam – Finland trade

This is part of the activities celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam – Finland diplomatic ties.

Addressing the event, VCCI Vice President Doan Duy Khuong noted that two-way trade has grown consistently, from 210 million USD in 2011 to over 300 million in 2012.

Vietnam’s main exports to Finland are coffee, rubber, footwear, textile and garment, handicraft, wood products, bicycles and spare parts.

Meanwhile, it imports machinery, equipment, telecommunication products, textile accessories, electrical items, and steel.

Finland ranks 26th among 98 foreign investors in Vietnam, with over US$336 million funnelled into industrial glue, garment, wooden products and fishing gear projects.

Finnish Ambassador to Vietnam Kimmo Lähdevirta spoke highly of the two countries’ efforts in investment and import-export.

He said forestry will be a potential cooperation area for Vietnam and Finland, since his country has been developing clean technologies to respond to environmental and natural changes.

The two countries can also cooperate in energy, infrastructure, construction, mining, environmental technology, etc., Lähdevirta noted.

The seminar is an opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to approach this potential market, and northern Europe markets as well.