Hanoi (VNA) – Many localities in the Mekong Deltafailed to achieve their export targets in the first quarter of 2020, but theiroverseas shipments still rose slightly from the same period last year despitethe global spread of COVID-19.

Local exporters admitted the COVID-19 outbreakhad caused heavy losses to their operations. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, theirexport markets have been shrinking as a large number of countries, from theRepublic of Korea and Japan to Europe and the US, have imposed travelrestrictions to curb the coronavirus from spreading. This has subsequentlyinterrupted the flow of goods.

Given the circumstances, the slight export growthin Q1 was encouraging, according to industry and trade authorities in theMekong Delta.

Statistics show that Can Tho city earned 429.6million USD from exports in Q1, up 0.3 percent year on year. An Giang provincerecorded an increase of 2.6 percent in export revenue to 217.31 million USD.Meanwhile, trade turnover in Hau Giang province during the period was estimatedat 198.69 million USD, rising 4.49 percent year on year.

Doan Minh Triet, Deputy Director of the An GiangIndustry and Trade Department, said due to COVID-19, export activities had not beenas vibrant as in the same period of previous years, but a slight exportincrease was still an encouraging sign.

According to this department’s data, An Giangshipped 127,540 tonnes of rice worth 64.52 million USD in Q1, up 2.03 percentin volume and 1.29 percent in value year on year; 29,500 tonnes of frozenaquatic products worth 71.12 million USD, up 1.72 percent in volume and 2.18percent in value; 2,130 tonnes of frozen fruit and vegetables worth 3.6 millionUSD, up 1.19 percent in volume and 2.86 percent in value; and 31.01 million USDworth of apparel, up 3.37 percent.

To meet their export targets, industry and tradedepartments in the Mekong Delta said they had liaised with the Vietnam TradePromotion Agency and the country’s overseas commercial counsellors to ask forcoordination to carry out trade promotions in foreign markets.

They will also regularly learn about businesses’demand for support and credit to help firms diversify their products andmarkets.

Triet said the Vietnamese trade counsellor inSingapore had agreed to coordinate with the province to organise a trip forSingaporean seafood and rice companies to An Giang to meet local exporters.Besides, the trade counsellor in Japan will also display samples and cataloguesof An Giang products at the Vietnamese trade office there./.