He asked representatives of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) and the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO) to develop circular economy models, including the recycling of textile by-products and discarded clothing into new products, as part of the country’s broader green growth strategy.
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc recently urged textile, clothing and footwear firms to fast adopt S&T, innovation, digital transformation and e-commerce to improve productivity and product quality, while expanding sustainable manufacturing practices.
He asked industry representatives to develop circular economy models, including the recycling of textile by-products and discarded clothing.
“The State will provide necessary policy support, from land access to financing, for textile and footwear enterprises to develop technology, particularly in line with Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation,” he was quoted as saying by a domestic media outlet.
According to VITAS president Vu Duc Giang, the industry’s exports were worth $17.8 billion in the first five months this year and it is targeting exports worth $48-49 billion in the entire year.
Domestic manufacturers continue to face challenges, ,including dependence on imported fabrics and accessories, underutilisation of tariff preferences under free trade agreements, labour shortage and increasingly stringent sustainability requirements in export markets, he noted.
VITAS called for policies to attract high-tech and environmentally compliant investment into textile dyeing and finishing to strengthen domestic supply chains. The association also proposed reforms to value-added tax regulations and customs procedures, support for e-commerce exports and measures to reduce overlapping inspections.
LEFASO president Nguyen Duc Thuan proposed setting up a national materials and accessories centre that would function as both an innovation hub and a solution to supply-chain bottlenecks by raising domestic production of raw materials.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
