Vietnam will become the 10th largest garment exporter in the world by 2010, local newspaper Vietnam News on Wednesday quoted a top official of the country's biggest garment producer as saying.

Vietnam, which was ranked the 16th out of 153 garment exporters worldwide last year, will advance in the Top Ten by 2010, predicted Le Quoc An, chairman of the management board of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex).

The country reaped textile and garment export revenues of more than 4.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2005, posting a year-on-year rise of 9.6 percent. The export turnover of Vinatex alone surged 13 percent to 1.2 billion dollars, he said.

To boost textile and garment exports, Vietnam is focusing on tapping such traditional markets as the United States and the European Union, exploring new ones in Africa and East Europe. It is also urging local producers to more actively build and promote trademarks both at home and abroad, and have specific items for specific markets.

Vietnam has planned to reach textile and garment export turnovers of 5.5 billion dollars this year.

Source: Xinhua