A seminar on Vietnam-India bilateral trade and investment opportunities in the post FTA period was held in Kerala, India on May 10 by the Vietnamese Trade Office in India and the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

 Trade counsellor to India Nguyen Son Ha briefed participants on trade and investment activities between Vietnam and India in recent years and introduced the ASEAN– India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which came into effect from June 1, 2010, and a tax cut roadmap to help Indian businesses seek opportunities in Vietnam.

Many Indian businesses at the seminar showed keen interest on information about Vietnam’s investment environment, including procedures to set up business, incentives when investing in Vietnam, labour recruitment, salary policy, import-export management policy, and exhibitions and fairs in the country.

Ha provided the latest information about Vietnam’s external economic policies and useful addresses to gain necessary information. He encouraged Indian businesses to take part in exhibitions and fairs in Vietnam to introduce their products to local customers.

After the trade promotion seminar, the Vietnamese Trade Office worked with some Indian agencies in Kerala, such as the Rubber Board, the Spices Board, the Marine Product Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) and the Coir Board.

The office hoped that Indian agencies will facilitate cooperation between businesses from both countries to fulfil the target of raising their two-way trade turnover to US$7 billion by 2015.

(VOV)