The event, co-held by the Hanoi Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Agency and Australia International Exhibition and Conference Group (IEC), brought together over 60 Hanoi-based businesses operating in the fields of garment, textiles, leather footwear and fashion, along with associations and organisations which have high export demand to Australia and New Zealand. 

At the conference, participants were briefed on Southeast Asia’s garment and textiles market and Australia and New Zealand’s import potentials for garment, textiles and leather products. 
The conference was a good opportunity for Vietnam export businesses to broaden their network with Australia partners, thus increasing availability of Vietnamese goods in the market, said Nguyen Mai Anh, deputy director of the agency.
Meanwhile, IEC Director Julie Holt said Australia boasts great purchasing power although its population is less than the US and Europe, adding that Vietnam ranked second among countries exporting footwear products to Australia with export turnover of 32 million AUD. 
The director also noted that Vietnamese firms should follow international standards to meet requirement of importers.
According to data the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in the first quarter of 2017, two-way trade between Vietnam and Australia reached 1.35 billion USD. Vietnam exported 687 million USD worth of goods to Australia, up 8.3 percent, while importing 665 million USD worth of products from the market, down 18.6 percent compared to the same period last year. 
During the reviewed period, Vietnam raked in 50 million USD from footwear exports to Australia, up 24.6 percent and 42 million from garment and textile products, up 13.6 percent.