Many export orders at the beginning of the year

	Seafood export orders see sharp increase after EVFTA took effect
	Textile enterprises lack high-value export orders

Processing red tilapia for export at APT Company.

Spring opening online

Talking to Customs News, Mr. Huynh Van Mon, Chairman of Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company, said: "The company held the Spring Opening ceremony on February 17 (the 6th day of the Lunar New Year). This year's Spring opening ceremony took place online with 14 places to fulfill the requirements to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Similarly, many other companies such as Vietnam Textile and Garment Group, Coal - Mineral Group Vietnamese property also organized New Year's Spring Opening online, connecting with the points that are member units of the Group.

As the leader of a corporation in the agricultural sector of Vietnam, Mr. Huynh Van Thon expressed his firm belief and hope when entering the new year, although the pandemicis still complicated. Accordingly, the restructuring of the entire operation process which has been implemented since 2020 has brought many advantages for Loc Troi in the new year.

Specifically, the apparatus of Loc Troi has become familiar and adapted to the way of working and operating online. As a result, the company has had little trouble returning to production after the Tet holiday amid an outbreak of Covid-19 in some localities.

In addition, the revenue and profit in 2020 of Loc Troi all exceeded the set plan, and also created great support for the enterprise in the new year.

“Highly efficient business results help the company ensure a good source of income for employees. For farmers, the recent crops have been successful, with good prices, helping to reduce costsbut gain high export prices, so farmers' income is very good and people enjoy Tet," Mr.Thon said.

Mr. Thon also saidthat the level of science and technology in the agricultural sector of Vietnam has seenremarkable development, along with the advances in seed, production levels.

This will greatly support Vietnam's rice and fruit exports in 2021.

Bustling exports

In the joyful and exciting atmosphere of the first day of Spring, many businesses are also happy to export the first shipments of the new year.

Typically, on the first working day after the Tet holiday (February 17), Vina T&T Company opened with an export shipment of 40,000 fresh coconuts, 50 tons of dragon fruit, 20 tons of mango and three tons of rambutan on February 17. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T&T Company, said that after nearly 10 days of the Tet holiday, the number of orders accumulated, so the company is now focusing on meeting the demand, along with ensuring strict anti-diseasemeasures.

Saigon Aquatic Products Trading Joint Stock Company (APT) has also exported the firstbatch of fish ofthe year, including pufferfish, tilapia, scad, catfish, tuna, and processed yam to the UK market. On February 19 itcontinued to export orders to Korea.

Mr. Truong Tien Dung, General Director of Saigon Seafood Trading Joint Stock Company, said that hundreds of the company's workers are actively producing shipments of red snapper and red tilapia for export to the UK and Korea markets. In addition, the company also processes seafood rice cakes, fish balls and dumplings for the domestic market. The high number of orders is due to the company's efforts to improve and develop many new processed products, in accordance with market demand in the context of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Liem, director of Lam Viet Company, said that due to the complicated situation of the pandemic, the company focused on completing orders before the Tet holiday. Accordingly, the company will be opening on the 9th and start working again from January 11. According to Mr. Liem, in previous years, about 80-90% of workers and employees of the company returned to their hometown for the Tet holiday, but this year, according to the management board, the number of employees returning home was only about 50%. To ensure the prevention of the pandemic, the company has set up plans to review workers and employees returning home for Tet, coordinating with local authorities to quarantine those returning from affectedlocations. Accordingly, it is expected that by the end of January, the company will be able to operate again at 100% capacity.

Regarding the order situation, Mr. Liem said that the current number of orders has reached the same level compared with previous years. The company also reserves about 15-20% more capacity to ensure that production progress is met in the event of Covid-19 outbreaks. Currently, the products of Lam Viet include furniture, kitchen cabinets, exports are concentrated in three main markets – Canada (30%), the US (20%) and the UK (40%). In 2020, the disease situation in these markets has caused significant losses for the company. But at the end of the year, Lam Viet still tries to reward workers and employees with about two months' salary to motivate and retain employees after Tet.