Fine art and handicraft exports below expectations
16:49′ 16/01/2014 (GMT+7)
Fine art and handicraft exports failed to reach the targeted export level of $800mil in 2005, and experts believe it will be very difficult to gain $1.5bil in export turnover by 2010 as planned. Fine art and handicrafts have always been considered competitive products in Vietnam capable of bringing high added value. An overall programme on their development has been drawn up, but it has not helped greatly.
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According to the Ministry of Trade, Vietnamese producers should continue to see fine arts and handicrafts as potential export items, and should focus on repairing shortcomings in model design, product diversification, and improving capability in fulfilling big orders.
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The biggest shortcoming of the sector is lack of creativity, which explains why Vietnamese products sell well initially, but later lose favour with customers as they are not renewed. The most typical example is the ongoing slowdown in pottery and porcelain exports to Europe.
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Since 2001, Vietnam has lost $10mil in exports every year to the European market. Japan, though a big export market for Vietnam, has also slowed down. Recently, several furniture distributors came to Vietnam to seek products, but did not find anywhere which could meet the demand for quantity or delivery time.
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