Knowledge & Innovation
This category covers advancements in technology, education, and research, including startups, AI, fintech, and digital transformation. It highlights government policies on innovation, investment in R&D, and digital economy trends. As economies transition to knowledge-based industries, this section explores emerging technologies, automation, AI, and blockchain, showcasing how businesses and policymakers adapt to rapid innovation.
Vietnam News Roundup: May 16 to May 22
This week’s Vietnam News Roundup covers the approval of a new airline amid ongoing turbulence in the aviation sector, fresh funding for consumer finance firm F88, State Treasury deposits at SOEs raise questions about private sector parity, and more…
Sanctions: Three Vietnam firms added to EU Russia sanctions list named
Three Vietnamese companies have been added to the EU’s Russia sanctions list as of 21 May 2025. The firms are accused of supporting Russia’s military or energy sectors through trade facilitation or indirect circumvention of export controls, according to an EU Council Decision issued May 20.
Vietnam’s US Tariff Threat Prompted Counterfeit Crackdown: Unpacked
Counterfeit goods have been highlighted as one non-tariff barrier that led to the recently announced US tariffs on Vietnamese goods. Vietnam is now responding to try to bring down those tariffs by launching a crackdown on counterfeits. So, how prevalent is the counterfeit goods trade in Vietnam? Can it be stopped? And if it can, why hasn’t it been already?
Banking & finance: Vietnam crypto stakeholders push back on forced transfer proposal
Crypto experts, investors, and legal scholars have widely opposed the Ministry of Finance’s draft regulation requiring crypto to be transferred to and stored within licensed domestic exchanges in Vietnam, Tuoi Tre has reported. They argue it is legally premature, technically unworkable, and economically harmful.
Private sector development: Vietnam National Assembly approves support package for private sector
Vietnam’s National Assembly has passed a resolution with nearly 90 percent support to strengthen mechanisms for private economic development. Policies include land rent subsidies, interest rate support, tax exemptions, inspection limits, and legal protections for private enterprises, SMEs, and startups, Vietnam Biz has reported.
News media: Vietnam police accuse local editor of 82 counts of extortion
Dong Xuan Thu, former editor-in-chief of Vietnam Environment and Urban magazine, has been accused of involvement in 82 cases of property extortion, by the Thai Binh Police, as reported by Dan Tri. He allegedly directed reporters to write negative articles about local businesses, then used those articles as leverage to pressure subjects to pay to have them taken down.
Education: Vietnam university over-enrollment concerns in spotlight at education conference
The current scale of university admissions in Vietnam—over 550,000 students across 200 universities in 2024—is “very unreasonable,” Dang Viet Xo, Principal of the Vietnam College of Industry and Trade has told an education conference, VN Express has reported.
Vietnam News Roundup: May 9 to May 15
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers growing pressure on U.S. footwear tariffs and Vietnam’s lobbying response, a rebound in the corporate bond market, rising power prices, renewed scrutiny of gaming regulations, Hilton’s expansion plans, a proposed VAT cut extension, and more…
Vietnam News Roundup: May 2 to May 8
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers CPI and trade data, SBV operations, credit growth, LNG tariffs, gold demand, a PMI drop, sanctions risk, the KRX system launch as well as foreign trader activity, tourism data, and more…
Private sector development: Vietnam government issues resolution aimed at private sector boost
Vietnam’s Politburo has released Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW, a directive that repositions the private sector as “the most important driving force” of its socialist-oriented market economy. It calls for sweeping reforms to remove systemic barriers and elevate the private economy’s share of GDP beyond 60 percent by 2045.
Cryptocurrency: Vietnam tax on digital assets feasible, but legal clarity needed
In an opinion piece in the Vietnam Investment Review, Nguyen Tien Hoa, Senior Partner at ASL Law, has argued that taxing crypto assets in Vietnam is legally feasible but requires foundational legal clarity and a phased implementation.
Trade: Vietnam’s import-export turnover up 15.7 percent year-to-date, surplus narrows
Vietnam’s April trade turnover reached US$74.32 billion, down 1.4 percent from March, up 21.3 percent year-on-year, according to the latest data from the National Office of Statistics. Year to date, total trade reached US$276.89, up 15.7 percent year-on-year.
Inflation: Vietnam’s CPI up 3.2 percent year-to-date in April 2025
Vietnam’s April 2025 CPI rose 0.07 percent month-on-month and 3.12 percent year-on-year and was up 1.37 percent since December 2024, according to the latest data from the National Office of Statistics. Year-to-date CPI (Jan–Apr) also increased 3.2 percent with core inflation up 0.21 percent month-on-month and 3.05 percent year to date.
Economy: Vietnam PM holds steady on 8 percent growth target despite US tariff threat
In a report delivered to the National Assembly, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has outlined a sweeping economic agenda centred on sustaining growth, diversifying markets, and negotiating a resolution to the proposed US “reciprocal” tariffs. He has said the government intends to maintain its growth target of 8 percent for 2025, even as it faces rising trade tensions with the United States.
Technology: Vietnam’s science and technology sector sees over US$235 million in March FDI commitments
The professional, scientific and technological activities sector attracted US$235.95 million in foreign direct investment in March, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This included 46 new projects worth just US$12 million, indicating modest initial capital commitments.
Vietnam News Roundup: April 25 to May 1
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers Vietnam’s response to the proposed 46 percent US tariff, VinFast’s latest earnings, World Bank forecasts, SBV market activity, and more.
Marx to the Market: A Brief History of Vietnam’s Post-Reunification Economic Development
Fifty years ago this month, the citizens of Ho Chi Minh City were watching the skies as US military helicopters evacuated the last of their personnel. Conversely, this month, in 2025, the citizens of Ho Chi Minh City looking skyward are unlikely to see US helicopters and instead more likely to see the VN Pay logo made up of tens of hundreds of drones. An advertisement for a banking and finance app to be sure, this is also largely emblematic of just how far Vietnam’s economic ideology has shifted in the last 50 years.
Vietnam News Roundup: April 18 to April 24
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers the latest: updates in the FW Aviation vs VietJet UK court case, rising bad debt data, a new factory for Nestle, skyrocketing gold prices, State Bank open market operations, and more…
Vietnam News Roundup: April 11 to April 17
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers the latest: EU trade remedies against Vietnamese steel, how industry is responding to the Trump Tariff turmoil, car sales data, electricity output, foreign trader activity, State Bank open market operations, and more…
Food services prices in Vietnam rise 3.78 percent year-on-year in Q1 2025
Vietnam’s food and food services consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.78 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to Q1 2024, with prices up 3.83 percent year-on-year in March alone, according to the latest CPI tracker.
In today’s Vietnam news: Research prosecution exemption, Fuel retailer losses, Semiconductor degree requirements, Eurocham BCI, Government bond auction Wednesday, Australia tourist visa problems, Coffee
In today’s Vietnam news: Accor-Sun Group agreement, US largest ethanol supplier, Demographic dividend to end 3 years early, Maritime economy development, ACV looking to
In today’s Vietnam news: Vietnam Airlines trading restrictions removed, Insurance payouts VSS, Car sales June, 23+ years prison term recommended counterfeit supplements, Counterfeit shoes
This is an interview with Chris Walker, a Vietnam Sourcing Expert with Vietnam Factory Tours how rising oil prices and the Middle East crisis are
This is an interview with John Gardner, CEO and Founding Partner, at Optimum Hospitality in Ho Chi Minh City. It covers fuel price impacts on:
This is an interview with Dr Nuno F. Ribeiro, Associate Professor, International Tourism & Hospitality Management at Copenhagen Business College, formerly of RMIT Vietnam. It