The industry and trade sector actively accompanies businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to synchronously deploy many solutions to support access to mechanisms and policies, develop production and business, improve competitiveness... contributing to promoting the socio-economic development of the province.

In 2024, the Department of Industry and Trade organized a dialogue conference with the participation of representatives of 9 relevant departments and branches and about 30 enterprises and cooperatives operating in the field of industry and trade with enterprises. The conference provided information on support policy programs for small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, production establishments or production and business households; trade promotion activities; administrative violations in trade activities. The conference discussed and directly answered the opinions of enterprises and cooperatives on a number of difficulties and obstacles in the process of production and business activities such as: trade connection with China; trade promotion, promotion of local products, market expansion; brand building and protection; support for improving technological capacity and production equipment; policy mechanisms to meet OCOP standards...

Promote trade promotion activities and communication work, promote OCOP products, potentials and strengths of ethnic minority and mountainous areas (DTTS&MN); typical rural industrial products. The Department has implemented many practical activities to create a bridge to promote cooperation opportunities between enterprises, distributors and consumers; create conditions for enterprises, establishments and cooperatives to promote and introduce products to a large number of domestic and foreign consumers such as: Successfully organizing the beautiful photo contest "I trust Vietnamese goods" on fanpage with nearly 50,000 shares and interactions; building 11 columns on Cao Bang Newspaper, 8 columns on Cao Bang Radio - Television to promote consumer rights, the campaign "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods"; Display and introduce OCOP products, typical and outstanding products at the 8th International Conference of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network in the Asia-Pacific Region in 2024 in the province with 60 booths. Organize 6 fairs to introduce and promote products of ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the province; conference to connect supply and demand between enterprises in Cao Bang province and Yen Bai, Kien Giang, Binh Thuan provinces, creating opportunities for enterprises in the province to have direct contact and exchange information to find partners, exchange production and business experiences; successfully organize the Cao Bang (Vietnam) - Baise (China) International Trade Fair in 2024.

Support 13 enterprises and cooperatives to participate in domestic and international conferences and fairs to promote local products such as: China (Pingxiang) ASEAN 2024 Import-Export Fair; conference to promote economic and trade cooperation between Guangxi (China) and Ha Giang, Quang Ninh, Cao Bang, Lang Son (Vietnam) in Nanning (China); conference to connect supply and demand in Ho Chi Minh City. Promote communication and promotion of products of ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Develop 4 communication reports to promote and introduce products of Ong sticky rice (Trung Khanh); Purple Cham tea (Bao Lac) on VTV1 Vietnam Television; organic spice raw material area of ​​the province; traditional products processed from meat (sausage, smoked meat...); design and print 5,000 paper bags with information about Purple Cham tea and Ong sticky rice products; Design and print 3,600 information publications about enterprises, cooperatives, and households producing and trading OCOP-certified products of the province, typical rural industrial products, specialty products, typical characteristics, and potential export products of the province.

Organized 14 training courses on developing trade human resources with 459 trainees who are enterprises, cooperatives, and business households operating in ethnic minority and mountainous areas with plans to expand business and production; newly established enterprises and cooperatives with activities and employing laborers in extremely difficult communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in Hoa An, Ha Lang, Ha Quang, Bao Lac, Bao Lam districts. Through that, support enterprises, cooperatives, and business households in communes and towns in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the province to improve their knowledge and skills in trade, e-commerce, update the latest trends in the field of trade, e-commerce and modern sales skills. Supported 9 enterprises and cooperatives to participate in training courses on business skills on digital platforms, brand development, image building for enterprises and cooperatives in Hanoi city and Lao Cai and Thai Nguyen provinces. Thereby helping to improve business performance, contributing to promoting trade development, enhancing the competitiveness of products in the market.

Thanks to promoting trade promotion and import-export activities, some of the province's processed agricultural products have been initially exported to demanding markets such as the cellophane noodles of Tan Viet A Agricultural Cooperative exported to the United States; black jelly raw materials exported to China... Many processed agricultural and forestry products are favored by international customers, highly appreciated for their quality and uniqueness such as cellophane noodles, dried vermicelli, bamboo processed products, black jelly raw materials, red Polygonum multiflorum extract, glutinous rice, herbs...

In order to effectively implement the breakthrough content on sustainable tourism and service development in the period of 2022 - 2025, the Department of Industry and Trade presides over and coordinates with relevant units and localities to support the development of 4 shopping points associated with stores introducing OCOP products and local specialties. Including product introduction points of Phan Hoang Production and Trading Company Limited at Kim Dong walking street; Center for application of scientific and technological advances, Song Hien ward (City); Management Board of Pac Bo National Special Relic Site (Ha Quang); Management Board of Ban Gioc Waterfall Tourist Area (Trung Khanh). During the implementation process, ensure savings and efficiency within the assigned budget and in accordance with the provisions of law on bidding, ordering, and assignment of tasks.

Currently, the province has 81 markets (including 21 border markets), 6 supermarkets, more than 1,000 convenience stores, 69 gas stations, more than 200 LPG retail stores. There are 85 enterprises and cooperatives operating in the commercial sector such as: Wholesale, retail, gas, tobacco, alcohol, production and trading of products. The system of markets, supermarkets, and chains of convenience stores are increasingly developing, the network of gas stations and liquefied petroleum gas basically meets the needs of production and life.

Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Dong Thi Kieu Oanh said: With the motto "Accompanying businesses", the Department continues to increase meetings and dialogues between the government and businesses, cooperatives, production establishments, and individual businesses at many levels, according to each sector and locality with many forms. Timely information, continuous updates of new legal regulations and policies so that businesses can grasp and proactively plan their business; timely support to remove difficulties and obstacles in the process of investment, production and business activities. Promote product consumption connections through e-commerce platforms, apply information technology in trade promotion activities, brand promotion; effectively implement programs and support policies for small and medium enterprises in the province to create favorable conditions for the development of the private economy.

Lam Giang