Vietnamese-made goods gain foothold

17 May, 2011

HCM CITY — Sales of Vietnamese goods in Cambodian market, especially household utensils and processed food, have been robust in the past several months.

So Naren, who represents Vietnamese enterprises in Cambodia, said these items held a rather large market share.

Plastic household utensils, for instance, have surpassed similar Thai goods to account for 80 per cent of the market share.

Duy Tan Plastic Co Ltd, which officially opened its distribution system in Cambodia more than three years ago, reported a sharp increase in sales.

It has expanded its distribution system to all of Cambodia's cities and provinces.

Currently, Cambodia has become one of the country's key plastic export markets after Japan, the US and Germany.

At Satra supermarket in Phnom Penh, invested in by the Sai Gon Trading Corporation, fish sauce, soya milk, soya sauce and coffee sold out after two weeks of opening.

Tran Thanh Nam, deputy director of the Sai Gon Trading Corporation, said the company would increase transportation of Vietnamese goods to the supermarket to meet consumption demand.

"Vietnamese products' price, design and quality attract Cambodian customers", So Naren said.

Other Vietnamese sectors, following the success of processed food and household items, were expected to penetrate the market, So Naren said.

In addition, Cambodia was fostering agricultural production, offering a huge opportunity for Vietnamese fertiliser makers.

Vietnamese enterprises entered the Cambodian market later than their counterparts from Thailand and China.

However, with efforts of both countries, bilateral trade increased from US$950 million in 2006 to $1.65 billion in 2008 and more than $1.83 billion last year.

Viet Nam enjoys a trade surplus with Cambodia, earning $1.55 billion in exports last year. — VNS