Managers, experts and representatives from businesses gathered at a forum in Hanoi on August 4 to share experiences in developing trademarks and discuss related issues in the field. As part of activities in the programme “Proud of Vietnamese trademarks”, the event was organised by the Trade Promotion Department under the Ministry of Industry & Trade and t he Vietnam National Trademark Council . According to Lai Tien Manh from Brand Finance—a firm specialising in the valuation of brands and intangible assets , Vietnamese companies’ trademark value in 2014 totalled 172 billion USD, up 30 percent against the previous year. Within ASEAN, Vietnam ranked sixth in the field after Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. However, Vietnamese businesses have yet to pay adequate attention to building trademarks, especially in the context of integration and increasing competitiveness. Manh stressed that enterprises should increase investments in the field given the importance of national trademarks in improving competitiveness and gaining consumer confidence. Trademarks can greatly impact the balance of payments by influencing investment and capital attraction as well as raising market demand and promoting exports, he noted. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Northern Liquefied Gas Trading Company Tran Trong Huu underlined the need to support enterprises in developing trademarks in accordance with each sector through trade associations and intensify promotion activities at international trade events. He shared his enterprise’s experience in developing trademarks, saying that support in trainings and consultations are necessary to improve enterprise production capacity and competitiveness. Director of the Trade Promotion Department Bui Huy Son said his agency will continue to assist Vietnamese businesses in meeting national trademark standards.-VNA