Garment-textile sector promotes global supply chain

The event was part of the meeting of the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries 2016 (AFTEX) hosted by Vietnam.

In his speech, President of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) Vu Duc Giang underlined the strategic role of Vietnam’s textile and apparel in the regional bloc, saying that Vietnam tops ASEAN countries in garment export.

The sector is also among the country’s biggest foreign currency earners, making Vietnam become the world’s top five largest apparel exporters, Giang said.

In 2015, the country's textile and apparel export earnings hit US$27 billion and the figure is expected to reach US$29 billion this year.

As many as 6,000 apparel enterprises have provided jobs for more than 2.5 million labourers.

Vietnam needs to develop a master plan for developing the garment sector by 2020, with a vision for 2040, Giang said, suggesting the sector should launch incentives to attract more foreign investors while enterprises need to develop their own brand names.

VITAS joined the AFTEX in 2001. The federation has made remarkable contributions to forming a free trade zone among the Southeast Asian nations, and the building of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.