There is already a nearly un-quenchable thrust for all products American. Lowering the same barriers for America will put our trade goods in direct competition with some home grown industries. The inability of Vietnamese companies to invest capital in projects makes the burden on foreign investors difficult, particularly when neighboring countries have relaxed those barriers. Important is America's insistence on free trade and Vietnam's dropping its state-control over all import and export licensing. In time, tourism will grow, and more people will fall in love with the country and the people of Vietnam.
American business is already here.
There is NOT much hard currency here from America yet, but the projected investment dollars had placed America as high as 5th on the list of investors. By the end of 1998, due to many pulling out, America's place dropped to 10th. Vietnam is determined not to be the low-cost producer of cheap products, but the high technology producer of quality products for the world. There is no doubt this is still a frontier land, but the government is stable, the people are willing and the infrastructure is growing to support foreign investment. Practice does not yet match policy, but we strongly believe in the strength of the people of Vietnam.