In the first four months of this year, Vietnam's garment and textile exports were estimated at more than US$2.6 billion, mainly to the US, EU and Japan, up 24.5 percent year-on-year.

In order to achieve the goal of increasing annual garment production by 16%-18% and export growth by 20% in 2008-2010, Vietnam's garment and textile manufacturers increased investment in purchasing advanced equipment and technology, and launched more net wool Design schemes, demand for more raw material supply, improved management, Vietnam Textile and Garment Association.

According to a national plan to develop local industries, Vietnam's garment and textile industry will achieve an output value of US$14.8 billion in 2010, US$22.5 billion in 2015, and US$31 billion in 2020. Vietnam aims to achieve US$25 billion in apparel exports by 2020.

In 2007, Vietnam's garment and textile export revenue reached US$7.8 billion, an increase of 34.5% compared with 2006. Last year, Vietnam earned an estimated $4.5 billion from clothing and textile exports to the United States.

In the face of Vietnam's strong export of garments and textiles, but there are also textile enterprises such as Thanh Cong Textile and Garment-Investment-Trading United Securities Company (TCM) listed on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange, the company plans to expand its business to real estate and securities brokerage .

Last week, the company's president Dinh Cong Hung announced at a shareholder meeting that the construction of the Thanh Cong Castle apartment house will start with a 10,000-square-meter land in the Tan Phu area of Ho Chi Minh City, and the construction will start before June.

At the same time, the 6.4-hectare Thanh Cong No. 2 castle will be established in the Tan Phu area, and it is planned to start construction next year. It will include housing, a vocational training school, a conference centre, commercial buildings and a cultural centre. Other residential projects are underway.

In May, Thanh Cong Securities will become a trading member of the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange.

The company intends to issue 10 million convertible bonds with a face value of 100,000 VND ($6.20) to raise funds for real estate projects this year.