Messe Frankfurt, the organisers of Interstoff Asia Essential, will invite approximately 100 exhibitors from the Hong Kong fabric show to participate in a specially organised mini-trade fair called ‘Vietnam Business Meeting’. The event—supported by the Vietnam Textile & Apparel Association (VITAS) —will take place on August 9-10 in Ho Chin Minh City and will bring together foreign suppliers and manufacturers of apparel fabrics and potential buyers from across the country.
Vietnam is one of the fastest growing garment exporters in the world—ranked 16th out of 153 countries in 2006—and is expected to become the 10th largest garment exporter by 2010. The industry already employs more than 1.6 million workers in 2,000 factories, and accounts for 21% of the country's total manufacturing output. Government targets aim to achieve $7-7.5 billion in annual exports by 2010. However, in spite of the industry's rapid growth, apparel manufacturers in Vietnam still import approximately 70% of their materials.
