It was the first ever video conference linking Vietnam’s footwear  sector and a foreign market. As both countries gradually reopen their economies, the conference and its business matching session provided a platform for Vietnamese firms and US importers to learn about each other’s needs and capacity, seek deals, and promote trade. The event presented Vietnamese firms with the latest updates on the US’s footwear market and how it is being affected by COVID-19. US experts also advised Vietnamese footwear makers on specific market segments they should focus on and how to improve competitiveness to better access the US market. The conference also offered Vietnamese companies a chance to discuss challenges in exporting footwear to the US.

Vietnam exported 18.3 billion USD worth of footwear products in total last year. The US remained Vietnam’s largest footwear market, buying 6.65 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 14.2 percent. Shipments of footwear to the US grew 10 percent year-on-year to 1.56 billion USD in the first quarter of this year.