A mobile phone production line at Samsung Electronics Viet Nam. The country is becoming the world's leading mobile phone producer, according to a Japanese daily. — VNA/VNS Photo Duc Tam

HA NOI (Biz hup)— Japan's prestigious economic daily Nihon Keizai on Tuesday ran an article saying that Viet Nam is becoming a leading smartphone producer in the world.

According to the article, with the Samsung Electronics Viet Nam (SEV)'s plan to produce 240 million smartphones in 2013, accounting for 20 per cent of the world market share, Viet Nam is following close to China to win the world's number one position in this field.

In addition to bringing profits to the SEV, this plan will also help Viet Nam benefit more from the growth of the electronic industry, create more job opportunities or develop relevant infrastructure.

The article attributed the SEV's selection of northern Viet Nam to locate its production establishments to low labour costs and convenient exports of products to important markets such as Japan, China and Taiwan.

Last year, Viet Nam exported approximately US$13 billion worth of phones and their parts, nearly doubling the previous year's figure.

The US's International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts that the entire world will produce about 918 million smartphones in 2013, of which 50 per cent is made in China. — VNS