Business and Trade

Total turnover of goods and services in Ben Tre in 2002 increased by 6.86%. There are many new market places built to serve small business activities.

Export turnover increased by 25.76% in the same period, estimated to achieve US$50.03 million. There have been changes in foreign markets. Exports into China market were slowing down by 9.8%, Taiwan market by 31%, and
Hong Kong market by as much as 69.2%. On the opposite direction, exports into Japanese market have rocketed up to 3.6 times, South Korean market up by 20.6% and Laotian market up by 3.5%. Besides, there are other new markets in
West Europe adding to the overall exports growth.

General import turnover increased by 8.5% in the same period, to US$13.

The Service of Commerce and Tourism's Trade Promotion Centre was also established in 2002 with the purpose to help business establishments in the province develop new markets as well as to build new competitive edges which are very important in their future survival once
Viet Nam joins the AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Accord) in 2006

During the period of 1991-2000, the total commercial added value was up by an average of 8.19% per year, accounting for 9.23% of the province's 1998's GDP. This sector employed roughly more than 32,000 workers, 97% of which is non state-owned businesses.

The commercial network spreads to the centre of
Ben
Tre
Town, district towns and smaller market centres in rural communes.

There are 12 limited liability companies, 3 trading cooperatives, 162 private trade enterprises, and 13,530 family business units currently in operation in the province. These businesses are distributed widely in the Town, district towns, and market centres. Beside all these, there are 18 state-owned businesses trading in essential commodities such as petrol, steel, cement, fertiliser, ... with a large grid of more than a thousand outlets, including 113 retail stores and 808 small agencies.

The province's selling lines to other provinces in the country include mainly fruits, sugar cane, coconut, cattle and poultry meat, egg, seafood and aquaproduct, coconut candy, sugar, coconut oil, etc.

The province's buying lines from other provinces include rice, vegetables, processed (canned) food, machinery and materials for use in farming and fishery, building materials, etc.