Japanese Businesses Seek to Explore Vietnam Market

6:01:42 PM | 11/20/2015

To learn about ASEAN Caravan event, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Atsusuke Kawada, Chief Representative of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in Hanoi, on the sidelines of ASEAN Caravan 2015, which took place on November 10. Huong Ly reports.

Could you briefly introduce the ASEAN Caravan held by JETRO?

ASEAN Caravan has been hosted by JETRO since 2012 to support Japanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to penetrate the ASEAN market by combining a variety of activities like trade connection, media advertising and market research. 2015 was the fourth year JETRO organised the event. The event came to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam last year.

ASEAN Caravan 2015 was held in six cities, attended by 58 Japanese businesses. This year, ASEAN Caravan arrived in Beijing (August), Bangkok (October). The event is expected to take place in Shanghai and Guangzhou in December.

Could you please tell us about some opportunities that ASEAN Caravan brings to Vietnamese and Japanese businesses?

With the development of big trade and shopping centres in Hanoi in the next few years, including AEON Mall Long Bien Shopping Centre invested and inaugurated by AEON Group in October 2015, Vietnamese consumers will have more opportunities to access Japanese products which are well-known for quality, functionality and look.

Target participants at ASEAN Caravan 2015 in Vietnam were consumer goods and grocery dealers. The event took place in Hanoi on November 9 (Monday) and November 10 (Tuesday) and in Ho Chi Minh City on November 12 (Thursday) and November 13 (Friday). Through this event, JETRO supported Japanese companies to bring their products to Vietnam through trade connections for Vietnamese and Japanese companies.

Would you talk about business exchange results of ASEAN Caravan 2014 in Vietnam?

Last year, many companies of both sides signed important contracts. Particularly, many Japanese firms joined hands with Vietnamese partners to build production factories in Vietnam. Tokai Kiki Kogyo, a producer of interior furniture like Tatami mats, built a factory in Vietnam shortly after ASEAN Caravan 2014.