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Positive signs for export enterprises since the beggining of the year. Photo: T.D |
Many export ships leave the wharf
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the CAPE QUEST ship of CMA, with a tonnage of more than 30,000 tons, brought the first cargo containers of Vietnamese enterprises out of Cat Lai port. The CAPE QUEST carried seafood to the port of Singapore and forwarded it to the US. This is one of the key products in the past year, contributing to Ho Chi Minh City’s export turnover of US$44.9 billion and helping Vietnam’s import and export turnover achieve record growth in the volatile year of 2021.
Colonel Ngo Minh Thuan, General Director of Saigon Newport Corporation, said that during Tet, on average, Tan Cang – Cat Lai port received more than 10 ships per day, with a volume of 118,097 Teu, which was equivalent to more than 1.65 million tons of cargo. Particularly on New Year’s Eve, the port welcomed seven container ships. The first shipment was loaded onto the CAPE QUEST vessel of CMA CGM (France) carrying hundreds of export containers. The total volume of loading and unloading on New Year’s Eve at Tan Cang – Cat Lai port was about 15,000 Teu (equivalent to 210,000 tons of goods). In 2022, Saigon Newport Corporation strives to increase production and business by 6% compared to 2021.
Southern seaports, especially Cai Mep – Thi Vai deep-water port cluster (Ba Ria-Vung Tau), welcomed import and export ships during the first days of the year. At Cai Mep international port (CMIT), besides four container ships arriving at the port weekly, it also regularly receives additional ships.
Saigon Port – SSA (SSIT port) also welcomed two new ship routes from North America and Canada in the first days of the new year. This was a good sign in the recovery of Vietnam’s export activities and creates a positive impetus for SSIT’s production and business. In 2022, SSIT expected the growth of import and export goods and the speed of goods through Cai Mep-Thi Vai port to continue to reach double digits.
Other ports in the Cat Mep-Thi Vai port cluster welcomed many cargo ships in the new year, of which, Tan Cang – Cai Mep international port (TCIT) welcomed a total of international service routes with 8 – 12 routes/week, connecting North America, Canada, main ports to Europe and intra-Asia.
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, seaport enterprises are making efforts to invest in equipment and apply information technology to increase service quality, taking on the responsibility of connecting import and export goods of the southern key economic region.
Positive outlook
The new year’s orders have opened up many prospects for export growth, as well as the hope of starting a strong new year for business activities of enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and the key southern economic region in general.
Mrs. Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, Manager of Import-Export and Customs Procedures Department, Techtronic Industries Vietnam Manufacturing Co., Ltd., said that during the Tet holiday this year (from January 29 to February 5), the company exported more than 200 containers of hand-held power tools, wireless electrical equipment to the US market. Along with export orders, the company also opened a declaration to import raw materials for production at the beginning of the year. Total export turnover of goods during the Tet holiday reached over US$40.4 million.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tran Quoc Dang Khoa, Head of Import-Export Department of HOYA LENS Vietnam Co., Ltd., said that on the 4th day of Tet, the company exported the first consignments of eyeglasses to the European market. Currently, the company was actively engaged in production activities to meet the schedule, in parallel with strict pandemic prevention measures.
Continuing the momentum in 2021, according to the latest data from the General Statistics Office, in January 2022, export turnover of goods reached US$29 billion, up 1.6% over the same period last year. In which, there are seven items reaching an export turnover of over US$1 billion, accounting for more than 60% of total export turnover.
Textile and garment is one of the export growth industries as global consumer demand is forecast to increase strongly. The Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association proposed three scenarios for the industry in 2022 that were when the pandemic was controlled in the first quarter of 2022, the export turnover would be about US$42.5-43.5 billion; if controlled in the middle of the year, it would reach US$40-41 billion and it would reach US$38-39 billion if the pandemic was controlled by the end of the year.
Mr. Truong Van Cam, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, said that many textile and garment enterprises have orders until May 2022. According to Mr. Cam, the progress of vaccinations, results of pandemic prevention and adaptation to new normal conditions will create conditions for businesses to resume production.
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In order to achieve the export target of 2022, Mr. Vuong Duc Anh, Chief of Office of the Board of Directors of Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), emphasized, from the lessons learned from the previous wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Vinatex had been proactive in mastering raw materials for sustainable development when the pandemic impacts were still lingering.