Only when hitting snags in exporting their products do Vietnamese wood processors focus on the domestic market.

Despite facing the day-to-day difficulties, Vietnamese retailers still have a number of advantages that foreign retailers find it difficult to grasp when penetrating the Vietnamese market. What are these advantages? What should be done to tap into them more effectively?

Rubber plantation which started in the northwestern provinces in 2007 has helped to change the region’s economic structure.

As a WTO member, Vietnam needs to protect its domestic businesses in the first place no matter how many kinds of goods and services are banned or restricted from operation.

One year after the Party Politburo launched the “Vietnamese people use Vietnamese products” campaign, the proportion of Vietnamese products accounts for 70-80 percent at supermarkets, even up to 95 percent in some supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City.

Fifteen years ago today Vietnam was officially admitted to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Brunei - a milestone in Vietnam’s regional and international integration, as well as ASEAN’s development.

Vietnam’s population, now at the “golden stage”, offers many opportunities for the country’s economic growth.

According to Mr. Truong Quang Hoai Nam, head of the Department of Domestic Market under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), the campaign "Vietnamese give priority to use Vietnam-made goods" is a golden opportunity to raise prestige of brand for consumers and bring opportunity for production and business in domestic market.

In recent years, representatives from various US leading corporations and enterprises have desired to become biggest trading partners and foreign investors in Vietnam. This is the result in the efforts promoting trade as well as many other issues in the process of relation normalization between the two countries.

Only by constantly gathering market information, coping with difficulties and enhancing links with partners with the support of trade associations and the State, will businesses be able to minimise losses caused by trade barriers.

Vietnam has to deal with almost 100 anti-dumping lawsuits and trade disputes each year, in which domestic businesses often come off worst.

2009 is considered a sublime year for local tourism, therefore, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism defined that 2010 needs to focus on this region. This is also a practical program under the campaign “The Vietnamese use Vietnam-made goods”.

Vietnam and the US have resumed normal relations for the last 15 years and trade is seen as one of the key elements to their bilateral ties.

Although textiles and garments have experienced constant growth, there are still serious problems facing the sector such as a labour shortage and reliance on imported materials.

E-commerce now plays a vital part of Vietnam’s almost 5,000 export businesses, says the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

The domestic demand for electricity is constantly increasing, while the water levels in many reservoirs in the northern and central regions are low, with some even drying out.

After suffering from the global economic crisis, labour export businesses need to improve the quality of guest workers.

An increasing number of enterprises are paying more attention to building up trademarks to underline their prestige, quality and commitment to customers and gradually secure a firm foothold in both the domestic and international markets.

The demand for export products is increasing. Many domestic businesses have to import raw materials to ensure they have an adequate supply to meet the demand.

Drawing up an appropriate zoning plan for the capital while preserving its valuable cultural heritage is a thorny problem for planners.