Il focus published by Intesa Sanpaolo last January points out how Vietnamese trade grew by about 25% on average annually in the five-year period 2003-08, reaching 143 billion dollars, which was followed by an 2009% cyclical contraction in 11, to 127 billion dollars, then returned to growth in 2010-2011 at an average of 29% per year, reaching approximately 212 billion dollars. During 2012, while imports suffered a slight weakening (-1%), settling at 113 billion dollars, exports saw a new increase of over 17% on an annual basis, reaching 114,5 bln. The trade deficit has been growing over time, from about $4 billion in 2005 to just under $17 billion in 2011. In 2012 there was a surplus of 1,3 billion dollars, due to the slowdown in domestic demand which limited imports. The trade deficit/GDP ratio, after reaching its peak in the years 2007-2008, settling at around 20%, gradually decreased in the following two years, to go back up to around 14% in 2011.
Among exports products from the textile and clothing industry stand out (30% of the total), followed by machinery (22%), agri-food products (16%), minerals (12%) and furniture (5%). As regards the products of the fashion sector, footwear and textile-clothing dominate, in particular women's clothing, while machinery is mainly represented by mechanical (printers, taps and valves) and electrical (telephone and cables). Agricultural production makes it possible to export significant shares of coffee, tea, spices, fish and crustaceans, molluscs at a global level. Among the minerals, moreover, energy ones stand out, in particular refined petroleum and coal. Among the imports, machinery takes on a significant share (27%), where the electrical ones (telephone equipment, integrated circuits), mechanical ones (processors and non-specialised machinery) and precision ones (medical opticians) stand out. The net balance is largely positive for textiles and clothing, furniture and electrical machinery. It is marginally positive for minerals, while it is negative for all other product categories.
The largest suppliers in 2010 were Asian countries, especially China (24%), South Korea (12%) and Japan (11%). Europe carves out almost 11% and among the most important areas the EU stands out with almost 8%, where Germany dominates with 2%, while Italy accounts for just under 1%. In any case, the USA remains the main customer, with a market share of almost 20%. The European markets involve almost 22% and the EU just under 16%, where, in any case, Germany (3%), the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (2%) stand out. Vietnam mainly imports electrical and mechanical machinery, textile and clothing products from China; from South Korea mainly metals, textiles and clothing, electrical machinery, plastics; from Japan metals and mechanical machinery. About 60% of export flows directed to the USA concern textile and clothing products, followed by agro-food and furniture. Minerals, rubber and plastics, agri-food products are sold in China. Japan purchases electrical machinery, clothing and food from Vietnam, while South Korea purchases textile and clothing, minerals and food products. Australia imports 70% of its total minerals from Vietnam.
Trade with Italy has been growing in the years 2003-2008 reaching a total of approximately 2011 billion euros in 1,8. After having recorded an average annual growth rate of 2003% in the period 08-13, reaching 1,25 billion euros, the international crisis of 2009 gave rise to a substantial consolidation of this amount. 2010 saw a recovery in trade, the growth of which continued to expand in subsequent periods. The data relating to the first nine months of 2012 show a decisive growth in trade of around 1,7 billion euro (+32%). In detail, however, one is noted contraction of Italian exports (-8,6%), while imports continue to grow (+49%). The weight of trade with Vietnam on the Italian trade balance has been increasing, albeit to a limited extent, going from 0,1% in 2005 to around 0,23% in 2011 (around 0,3% in the first nine months of 2012 ). The trade balance is clearly negative for Italy: during 2011 the deficit with Vietnam amounted to 0,7 billion euros, while it has already nearly reached one billion in the first nine months of 2012. In 2011 Italy mainly imported footwear and leather goods, clothing , both knitwear and fabrics, computers and electronic devices, agro-food products, especially fish, crustaceans and molluscs, coffee, tea and spices. In detail, exported goods mainly include mechanical machinery, leather, cotton, yarns and fibres, vehicles, chemical products, including pharmaceutical products, dyes and dyes, various chemical products, computers and electrical and electronic appliances.
Vietnam's FDI stock in 2011 amounted to about $73 billion, just over 60% of GDP produced in the year. The major investor countries are Asian, among which Taiwan (12%), South Korea (11,5%), Singapore (11%) and Japan (11%) stand out. The main European countries include the Netherlands (3%) and France (1,5%). From a sectoral point of view, manufacturing prevails (with a 49% share of the 2009 stock), followed by finance (25%), construction (6%), hotels and restaurants (6%), transport and telecommunications (4%), energy (3%). In particular, there are more than 200 special zones for industrial development and foreign trade, technological poles aimed at the production and study of new technologies, in which approximately 40% of the total FDI stock is invested. The incentives granted by the Government to the companies that set up their production plants in these areas are mainly tax incentives, both corporate and personal, facilitations in the land concession, support for employment, often with a high level of education and at competitive costs, bureaucratic streamlining and better access to infrastructure. These areas are located both near large centers and in disadvantaged areas that need a particular incentive for growth. Geographically they can be grouped into three areas: north, center and south. The main areas in the north are those of Hanoi, Haiphong, Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Vinh Phuc and Bac Ninh. In the centre, the most relevant are those of Danang, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Quan Ngai, and Binh Dinh. In the south there are Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc and Long An.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs they were present at the end of 2011 in total about 41 Italian companies, for investments of just under 200 million dollars. Most of the companies are located in manufacturing, while the Italian presence in services is still limited. The main Italian industrial brands present in the area are Ariston (household appliances), Bonfiglioli and Datalogic (electromechanics), Mapei (building materials), Oltremare (fashion), Perfatti (agro-food), Piaggio (means of transport), Savino del Bene ( transport). Banks include Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit, with representative offices, while Generali is present for insurance services, also with a representative office.
In addition to representing an important platform for made in Italy exports in the region, given the deep commercial ties with the US and Far Eastern markets such as China, Japan and South Korea, it is possible to identify some important product sectors for which there is ample room for growth both from a commercial and investment point of view Italian companies. In this way, the Vietnamese market can represent an interesting strategy from the dual point of view of production and distribution. rich subsoil and vast agri-food productions (rice, coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, fish products) they can offer interesting opportunities both for direct use in the processing and transformation, packaging and conservation of agricultural and mineral products, without forgetting the production and sale of specific machinery to carry out all the processing phases. Another sector is that of distribution, still anchored today to retail sales through small shops: in fact, only 10% of trade currently takes place through large-scale distribution, concentrated near the major cities. You can also report the specialist mechanics, that is to say the one used for particular processes such as plastic and rubber, textile and timber, shipbuilding, food. The infrastructure development, both civil and commercial, also implemented through project financing, could further enrich the range of investment opportunities in the country in the energy, transport, environmental protection and waste disposal sectors. The urban development, particularly along the coasts and in the more touristic areas, with the complicity of a favorable climate for seaside activities throughout the year, finally allows for further intervention spaces for the creation of hotel structures and villages, without forgetting the numerous sites of historical, landscape and archaeological significance.
