Press Release

Commerce Secretary Gutierrez Announces November 4-8 Dates for Business Development Mission to Vietnam

WASHINGTON—U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez announced the dates for the first-ever Secretarial Business Development Mission to Vietnam. This trip, which the Secretary announced last month, will take place on Nov. 4-8, 2007 and will visit Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

“Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in Asia—experiencing 8.2 percent growth in 2006—and the newest member of the World Trade Organization (WTO),” said Gutierrez. “The business development mission to Vietnam will help open doors for American businesses, manufacturers and service providers looking to expand their business, or explore new opportunities in this exciting market.”

Vietnam has a GDP of $61 billion and a young population of 84 million. Since the implementation of the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement in 2001, two-way trade has increased from $1.5 billion to $9.7 billion.

For companies interested in participating in the Vietnam Business Development Mission, please visit www.export.gov/vietnammission or contact the Department of Commerce's Office of Business Liaison at 202-482-1360.

Background
The business delegation will include a cross-section of U.S. industries with commercial interests in Vietnam.

The mission will help U.S. companies obtain information about the market, develop business and government contacts, and solidify business strategies. It will also provide a platform to address commercial issues that U.S. companies face in the Vietnamese market, including inadequate transparency, rule of law, and intellectual property rights protection that U.S. companies face in the Vietnamese market.