Most enterprises in Binh Duong have signed export contracts with their partners since early this year despite difficulties. It is known that export orders for the province’s key products signed from QIV 2012 have so far reached good results. Especially, some big-sized enterprises in woodwork and garment industries have signed orders exporting 30%-40% of their export output of 2013. Meanwhile, the prices of imported materials are still stable, helping enterprises herein confident to promote their business and production activities.
Signs of recovery
According to statistics, the province’s export turnover in the first two months of 2013 was estimated at US$2,261.8mln, up 42% compared to the corresponding period last year. Of these, the domestic investment sector reached US$380.5mln, up 24.9% while the foreign investment sector achieved US$1,881.mln, up 46%.
Due to a long Tet holiday, the
province’s export turnover in February was estimated at US$97.6mln, down 29.2%
compared to the previous month. Of these, the domestic investment sector gained
US$149.9mln, up 4.8% while the foreign investment sector secured US$769.6mln,
up 1.2%. 
Electronic components with high accuracy being manufactured at a FDI company in Binh Duong province
The province’s key export items are still wood products, footwear, garments and textiles, fine art handicrafts…The majority of enterprises in the province have received enough orders to keep them busy through the end of Q1 2013. Noticeably, many big-sized footwear enterprises have signed export contracts with their partners till Q2 2013. Meanwhile, the prices of imported materials in the first two months of 2013 were very stable, so export product did not see increase in prices compared to 2012.
Jobs for laborers
Some enterprises with a large number of laborers in the industries of footwear, garment and textile, porcelain, woodwork…have further faced labor shortage after the Tet holiday 2013. According to a report from provincial Pottery Association, most enterprises in this field have reached a shortage of 15%-20% of total laborers.
In addition to waiting for laborers returning to work after Tet, province-based enterprises have offered to recruit many other laborers to stabilize production to fulfill their orders on schedule. Tran Thuy Lien, from Lien Phat Footwear Co., said: “Like other previous years, our company have also faced a labor shortage after Tet. If not having a timely adjustment plan, we will find it difficult to complete orders on schedule…”.
Similarly, woodwork industry in the province is encountering a serious labor shortage. Laborers in this field were regularly provided on-site vocational training, so enterprises will be greatly affected if facing the lack of laborers. That’s reason why woodwork enterprises need to implement many incentive policies to keep laborers.
Along with salary adjustment as stipulated, woodwork enterprises have also applied various methods to attract laborers, including subsidizing lodging costs, providing trips home for Tet …In fact, enterprises that have better social welfare policies have not fallen into a shortage of laborers in early year.
Further giving support to enterprises
Under the Resolution 13 on some measures to remove hurdles in production and market support, provincial People’s Committee and functional agencies have further organized meetings with enterprises for timely support in terms of capital, technologies, administrative procedures…
Provincial Department of Industry and Trade (DoIT) has mapped out 2013’s programs to help enterprises remove hurdles in production and business, including the Binh Duong provincial Project on Industrial Development Adjustment in the 2006 and 2020 period; the Binh Duong provincial Project on Industrial Compounds Development till 2020 and Orientations Towards 2025; the Binh Duong provincial Action Plan on Cleaner Production for Industrial Manufacture in 2013…Provincial DoIT will also well realize 2013’s trade promotion program, support enterprises to take part in trade exhibitions at home and abroad in order to help them promote their products and expand their export markets…
With the above good signs early this years plus the efforts by the local functional sectors, it is sure that provincial People’s Committee’s goal of increasing 2013’s export turnover by 19% compared to that of 2012 will come true.
Reported by Bao Anh-Translated by K.T
