The organising board answers questions from reporters at a press conference held to introduce the first Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies in HCM City on February 23. — VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The inaugural Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies will take place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City from February 28 to March 1.

Organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, a global textile trade fair organiser, and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, VIATT 2024 will feature over 400 exhibitors from 16 countries and regions including the UK, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Việt Nam.

They will showcase their fabrics, yarns, fibres, garments, home textiles, technical textiles, nonwovens, and textile processing and printing technology.

There will be a fashion show highlighting green collections from Kilomet 109 and other Vietnamese brands and designers from China, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Fourteen seminars will be held on four key themes: design and trends, market strategy, textile and nonwoven technologies, and sustainability issues.

Speaking at a press conference held in HCM City on February 23 to introduce the fair, Lê Hoàng Tài, deputy head of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, said Việt Nam’s garment and textile exports fell by more than 9 per cent to US$40.3 billion last year due to the impacts of COVID-19, the global economic downturn and high inventories in many markets.

Seeing prospects are bright both in the global and domestic markets this year the sector had set an export target of $44 billion, he said.

He noted that the textile industry was gradually moving towards production methods that bring higher added value.

“To achieve this transition, businesses need to focus on sustainable production, going green, digital transformation, and using recycled materials.”

The fair was expected to create favourable conditions for local businesses to connect with international firms and participate in global textile and garment production chains, he said.

It would also seek to create linkages across the sector’s value chain from raw materials to the final product, encourage major global brands to transfer technology and management experience and participate in the process of developing domestic supply of raw materials, he said.

He pointed out that this would help local firms meet the rules of origin required under new generation free trade agreements, improve added value for their products and promote the sector’s development in a green and sustainable manner in line with global trends.

Wendy Wen, managing director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, said: “The reason we picked Việt Nam to launch our very first integrated textile fair in South East Asia is because we recognise its potential.

“Việt Nam is currently the third largest exporter of textiles and garments, and one of the world’s most significant importers of textile machinery, fabrics, yarns, and fibres.

“VIATT will be a hub for suppliers and buyers across the entire textile value chain to meet, source and harness the full potential of all categories.

“By leveraging our 500,000 connections from our Texpertise Network's 50 plus global fairs, we will provide Việt Nam's most comprehensive textile trade platform." — VNS