Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, Oct.11 (VNA) -- Viet Nam's textile and garment exports in the first nine months of this year rose 4.97 percent year-on-year to USD 1,372 million.

The national Viet Nam Textile and Garment Corporation contributed USD 365 million, 17.3 percent more than the previous corresponding period.

To further boost exports in the next decade, especially to the US, the corporation held a working session in Ho Chi Minh City on Oct. 11 with executives to discuss a speeding-up strategy for exports in the 2000-2010 period and a plan to surge exports to the US market.

Initial steps taken to boost exports to the US included the setting up of liaison offices in New York and organization of tours of the US market and meetings among Vietnamese business people and US exporters in Viet Nam and the US.

Freshly-approved projects to make new investment, to expand production and to treat waste water, using ODA sources from China, Japan, Spain, Germany, France and the Netherlands are under way.

The corporation will establish more joint ventures with foreign investors and exporters, all aiming at increasing textile and garment exports to the United States.