VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam, with great advantages in energy costs as well as seaports, is believed to be a great competitor of Philippines, according to foreign media reports.

Dan Lachica, president of Semiconductors and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc (SEIPI), said on December 18 that Vietnam is a major rival in semiconductor exports.

He said the energy cost in Vietnam is low, one-half that of the Philippines, which allows manufacturers to cut production costs.

Besides, the smooth operation at Vietnamese seaports, compared to the regular deadlock at Philippine ports, is also a great advantage Vietnam.

According to CargoSmart, the transport solution provider, ports in Manila had the highest percentage of shipping delays in the high season from September to November in 2014, compared with ports in HCM City and Nhava Sheva in India.

A survey of the service provider showed that ships in Manila suffered an average delay of 128.8 hours from September 15 to October 14. Meanwhile, the figures were 16.7 hours in HCM City and 16.4 hours in Nhava Sheva.

The president also emphasized that Vietnamese industries can enjoy big benefits from the low costs on electricity.

In the president’s eyes, this, plus favorable shipment conditions, are the most important factors any investor would consider.

According to ITC, the International Trade Center, in 2013 South East Asian countries exported approximately $300 billion worth of electrical and electronic components.

Electronics are an important export, which brings high revenue to Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Singapore is leading South East Asia in electronics exports and serves as the global business and shipping center in the region.

About two-thirds of Singapore electronics exports are products it imports for re-export without undergoing any other assembling process.

Unlike Singapore, most of the other South East Asian countries export locally-assembled electronics.

Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted foreign media as saying that the electronics productivity increased significantly in 2009-2013 in South East Asia, but the most impressive growth rate was seen in Vietnam, especially in electronic parts produced in the region over the last few years.

Reports from different sources all show the significant rise in Vietnam’s exports.

AmCham reported that Vietnam’s exports to the US have been increasing steadily over the last 15 years.

In 2000, Vietnam exported $800 million worth of products to the US, while the figure is expected to rise to $29.4 billion by the end of 2014. However, what Vietnamese can pocket is just a small part of the export revenue.