Ben Tre (VNA)🧸 – Ben Tre province aims tobecome the Mekong Delta’s top three in terms of export turnover by 2030.

The target is set in an action plan to implement the commodity import-export strategy to 2030, which has been issued by the provincial People’sCommittee.

Accordingly, the province focuses on boosting import and export activities, toward gradually increasing the scale of production andconsumption of agro-forestry and aquatic products. Special attention will be paid to buildingconcentrated raw material areas and exploiting the sources reasonably. The cultivation of key commodities will be expanded along with pouring investments into offshorefishing vehicles, creating a stable and high-quality source of raw materials.

Ben Tre sets a target of obtaining a 13.5-14.5% growthrate in export turnover in the 2021-2030 period.

It will promoteimport and export activities in the direction of both expanding markets andcommodities and improving import and export efficiency in line withsustainable development and minimising environmental pollution. Specifically, the group of industrial and handicraftproducts continues to make up a high proportion of total export turnover with88% by 2025 and 90% by 2030; vegetables and fruits will account for 8% by 2025and 10% by 2030, and the group of processed aquatic products 4% by 2025 and 6% by2030.

According to the provincial People's Committee, in the 2021-2025period, thanks to the advantage of new generation free trade agreements (FTAs)that have taken effect including the Vietnam - Korea FTA (VKFTA) and Comprehensiveand Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which will eliminate up to 90% of tariff lines, local export products are expected to increase sharply, especially coconut-related products, electronic components, auto parts, footwear, garment-textiles, agriculturalproducts and handicrafts. The export value of coconut-related products will reach560 million USD by 2025, up 10.05% year-on-year while the export of vegetables andfruit will hit 165 million USD, an increase of 6.99% per year.

To this end, the People’s Committee of Ben Tre provinceasked the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to coordinate withother departments, agencies and People's Committees of districts and cities indeveloping the value chain of key agricultural products in the 2020-2025 periodwith orientations to 2030.

⭕ The Department of Industry and Trade was assigned to workwith other agencies in the implementation of a programme on developing keyindustries and local businesses in the 2020-2025 period with a vision to 2030. Priority will be given to attractingclean energy industry, manufacturing and processing aquatic products andindustries to serve agriculture and rural areas.

Nguyen Van Be, the department’s director said that it willcontinue to popularise local goods at home andabroad. Every year, the department collaborates with agencies andunits under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and media outlets to promote productsunder One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme and specialties of the locality, he said./.