On February 17, the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) in collaboration with the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Vietnam (AHK) organized a workshop on “Enhancing competitiveness in the German market through the Supply Chain Due Diligence Regulation”. The event attracted nearly 200 delegates representing Vietnamese and German enterprises and press agencies.
The program aims to introduce the “German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act” which will come into effect from January 1, 2023. The Act requires German companies to control risks to people and the environment related to their production and business activities throughout the global supply chain. This Act is both a challenge and an opportunity for Vietnamese companies to assert their position in the global supply chain, especially attracting the attention of potential German customers.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Tuan - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Investment and Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) stated that in recent years, trade and investment relations between Vietnam and the EU in general and between Vietnam and Germany in particular have developed strongly. Germany is Vietnam's largest trading partner in Europe. For many years, Germany has maintained its position as the third largest exporter and importer of goods in the world (after the US and China). According to the General Department of Customs, the export turnover of Vietnamese goods to the German market in 2022 reached more than 8.9 billion USD, an increase of 23% compared to 2021 and is also the gateway for Vietnamese goods to other European markets. However, to achieve certain efficiency, Vietnamese enterprises must comply with strict conditions in the production and export process to demanding markets such as the EU in general and Germany in particular. Today's program also aims to help businesses gain the necessary knowledge to improve their competitiveness in the German market.
Opening the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Sang - Head of Incubator Representative Office - AHK Vietnam shared about the overall trend of global supply chain shift. Vietnam has attracted the attention of many countries, especially Germany, the import and export situation between Germany and Vietnam in recent times; AHK Vietnam has received more and more requests to find suppliers in Vietnam recently.
Referring to the main content of the program, Ms. Lanh Huyen Nhu - Project Manager of Sustainable Supply Chain in Vietnam provided necessary information related to the content of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Law (LkSG) and the significance of the Law for Vietnamese enterprises.
The aim of the German LkSG is to improve the protection of human rights in global supply chains and prevent abuses, such as child and forced labour, the prohibition of substances harmful to humans and the environment, anti-discrimination, fair wages and adequate working hours.
The Act also requires German companies to establish an effective and appropriate risk management mechanism for their supply chains and integrate it into all production and business cycles.
To gain more diverse perspectives, Mr. Juan Maties Garcia - Head of Asia Pacific Region - TÜV Rheinland Vietnam Company shared the perspective of an inspection expert on the requirements of the German market. At the same time, Mr. Vi Thanh Tuan - Head of Supply Chain Planning, Schaeffler Vietnam Company also shared the importance of sustainability standards for Schaeffler in particular and German enterprises in general. In particular, Ms. Nguyen Linh Chi - Chief Representative in Vietnam - Otto International Company shared practical experiences in the process of supporting Vietnamese enterprises, meeting the requirements of German buyers in the textile and garment industry.
Particularly for the agricultural sector, Mr. Huynh Le Linh Vu - Market Access Expert of the International Trade Center (ITC), Switzerland, Export Director - Tropical Vegetables and Fruits Production and Trading Company also presented some notes when participating in social standards - specifically the GRASP standard of the GLOBAL.GAP system - a global Good Manufacturing Practice standard in the agricultural sector.
After the presentation of the experts, the enterprises also had opinions about the challenges and opportunities for both Vietnamese and German enterprises in fulfilling the obligations of enterprises participating in the supply chain under this Law.
The workshop received many shares and contributions from the delegates. Questions were also answered by experts in a thorough, informative manner, from many perspectives, helping participants grasp the basic provisions of the Law and have appropriate adjustment strategies, contributing to improving competitiveness and promoting trade between businesses of the two countries in the coming time.
The Organizing Committee as well as AHK Vietnam will continue to support Vietnamese enterprises through training courses and consulting programs, and exchanges with German enterprises in the coming time./.
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