The Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) has announced a target to earn $44 billion from textile and apparel exports next year amid positive developments witnessed in the last quarter this year.

In a recent press conference VITAS chairman Vu Duc Giang said that the export revenue this year is estimated to top $40 billion, about 9.2 percent less than that of last year’s.

Vietnamese textile and garment products were exported to a record 104 countries and territories this year.

The United States remained the biggest importer of Vietnamese textiles and apparel, with a turnover of over $11 billion by the end of September this year. It was followed by Japan (about $3 billion), South Korea ($2.43 billion), and the European Union ($2.9 billion).

Vietnam’s exports to the EU, however, failed to meet expectations with the first nine month’s revenue dropping by 13 percent, a news agency reported.

There is a need for the country to focus on developing the fashion industry, building domestic brands and then making them globally known, Giang added.