Workers make garment products for export at a company in Can Tho City. — VNA/VNS Photo Tran Viet

CAN THO (Biz Hub) — The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has set to earn US$118 million from selling garments abroad in 2015, up 2.7 per cent over last year, thus bringing total exports of the city for the whole year to over $1.45 billion.

As part of efforts to fulfil the goal, the city would raise the rate of domestic materials in garment products to 55 per cent, while investing more in modernising garment production to increase quality of products, said Duong Nghia Hiep, Vice Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade.

At the same time, Can Tho would continue speeding up trade promotion activities to strengthen its trademark in both domestic and foreign markets, thus maintaining traditional markets and expanding to new ones, he said.

Throughout 2015, the city's garment sector is expected to ship abroad 9 million products, including 8 million to traditional markets of EU, the US, the Republic of Korea and Japan, and the rest to new ones such as India, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Middle East, according to Hiep.

Meanwhile, local firms are encouraged to improve their design and material quality, while choosing suitable market segments and using more domestic materials to reduce their dependence on imported sources.

Hiep also revealed that Can Tho would implement quality monitor measures to ISO standards and enhance enterprises' environmental and social responsibilities by applying advanced technology and investing more in organising training courses for labourers.

According to the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, in the first fortnight of this year, local firms produced 375,000 garment products, a rise of 22.4 per cent over the same time last year.

The products are worth $4.8 million , up 20.8 per cent year on year. — VNS