The Asia-Pacific Department has submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Trade a programme to target Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and East Timor in 2010 as traditional export markets facing difficulties. The Department head, Dao Tran Nhan, said exports to traditional markets in the region such as Japan, Australia, China and Singapore should now be put on hold, as they are likely to be already saturated with products from Vietnam. Meanwhile, surveys conducted in 2009 on the four target markets showed strong increasing demand. These markets have consumed a large quantity of Vietnamese products such as instant noodles, footwear, food and apparels. For example, at a trade fair on Vietnamese products held in Myanmar in July, 2009, all the products sold off on the first day of the event. Nhan also called on food processors in the southern provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Duong to pay attention to Malaysia. Many Malaysian businesses have been seeking partnerships with food processors in these two provinces to import their products, Nhan said. The latest information from Malaysia showed that demand for Halal food--dishes which are prepared according to Islamic dietary rules--is expected to surge strongly in 2010, offering a good opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to cash in on, he emphasised./.