Receiving fair trade certifications would give a big advantage toVietnamese exporters of tea, coffee, cacao, spices and handicrafts inexpanding their market, as heard at a recent workshop in Hanoi.

Fair trade certifications simplify business activities since theyfocuses on controlling the production process rather than checking thequality of products separately. Its registration fee is also lessexpensive than that of other certifications, said Director of theVietnam Rural Industries Research and Development Institute Nguyen BaoThoa.

A report on the potential of fair trade in theaforementioned commodities indicates that more than 95 percent of theproducts were sold through exports. The markets are expected to expanddue to advantageous natural conditions, labour and material resources.

Under the EU-funded fair trade promotion project inVietnam, enterprises will receive support to build business plans forthe EU market and register for fair trade certifications. Participantswill also receive training and have opportunities to join domestic andinternational trade fairs.

Nguyen Thu Thao, arepresentative from the Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association, saidall handicraft firms with certified fair trade standards in Vietnamcould join exports at different scales. The sector’s export turnoverreaches nearly 3 million USD per year and more than 65 percent ofimporters are fair trade customers, mainly the US, Europe, Japan,Australia and South America.

However, according toNguyen Thi Hong Minh, an expert in fair trade promotion projects, only afew businesses have received fair trade certifications so far: fivefrom the handicraft sector, 11 from coffee, three from tea and none ofthe spices and cacao firms have earned the label.

Additionally, the connection between fair trade recipients is weak, shenoted, suggesting businesses set up a fair trade network at home and theState promote fair trade in promotion activities.-VNA