Digitalising trade promotion activities and the application of information technology are important aspects of the country’s strategy for building a digital government, digital economy, and digital society, said Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). 

Addressing a conference on digital business strategy in the VUCA era (Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity)  jointly held by the ministry and the e-commerce platform Alibaba.com on March 1 in Hanoi, Phu stressed that 2023 is a crucial year for Vietnam to be able to successfully implement the economic development plan in the 2021 – 2025 period.

According to Phu, within the framework of cooperation between Vietrade and Alibaba, the two sides have coordinated to successfully deploy many international events which helped introduce reputable brands, quality products, and success stories of Vietnamese exporting businesses.

Over 200 training courses were organised by the MoIT and Alibaba in localities nationwide, focusing on raising awareness of digital transformation, access to digital business methods, how to operate digital pavilions, and online sales.

Businesses need to pay heed to improving and controlling product quality and competitiveness to meet regulations of import markets, and coordinate with trade promotion agencies in building plans and joining trade promotion activities to take advantage of opportunities from markets, Phu said.

According to Roger Luo, director of Alibaba in Asia-Pacific, through Vietnam’s export data in recent years, it can be seen that Vietnamese goods are at the top of the world’s consumption demand.

More and more foreign partners are willing to consider Vietnam as the first choice for purchasing goods, Luo said, adding that products of Vietnamese small- and medium-sized enterprises are always highly valued for their quality, export skill as well as after-sales service.

Vu The Tung, director of Business Development and Government Relations at Alibaba Vietnam, said this year, the e-commerce platform Alibaba.com will focus on improving the quality of services to connect exporters and importers and providing information on market demand to increase efficiency when businesses decide to do business on the platform.

The report Digital B2B Outlook for Vietnam in 2023 of Alibaba shows that over 50% of businesses choose to sell their products on e-commerce or digital platforms, and expand sale channels to “survive” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

VNA