Vietnamese textile exports recovering

The U.S. and European Union received 70 percent of Vietnam’s garment and textile exports in 2008, but orders dropped sharply in the first four months of 2009. However, Diep Thanh Kiet of the HCM City Association of Garment-Textile Embroidery-Knitting industries says many association members had orders through the summer. Japan is importing more Vietnamese products, becoming the target market as a free trade agreement eliminates tariffs between the two countries. Exports to other Asian markets have recently risen by 20 percent.