It will be difficult to achieve a 13 percent growth in exports in the context of the global crisis, Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang has admitted.

Leather and shoes is among key industries to be urged to seek new markets to boost export

Speaking at a conference with PM Nguyen Tan Dung to discuss import-export plans for 2009 in Hanoi on Wednesday December 30, he said, however, his ministry would strive to achieve the target.
 
It would persuade key export industries like textile, leather and shoes, electronic appliances and computer components to seek new markets in the US, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, he said. 
 
His ministry would also strive to ensure adequate supply of goods for the domestic market and estimated the total value of retail goods and services to top VND1,210 trillion (US$71.2 billion), he said. 
 
Mr. Dung praised the ministry for its efforts to boosting economic growth last year by curbing the trade deficit and stabilizing domestic prices.
 
To help ease the difficulties for the industrial and trade sectors from the global economic crisis, he said the government would cut interest rates and instruct the Bank for Investment and Development to provide soft loans to small and medium–sized enterprises. 
 
He urged the ministry to scout for new export markets but at the same time nurture the domestic market to create more jobs. 
 
He said it should tweak its mechanisms and policies to ensure enterprises operate more efficiently, improving quality and cutting costs, to meet domestic and export demands.