Manufacturing & Industry
This category focuses on industrial production, from electronics and textiles to automotive and heavy industry. It covers FDI trends, supply chain developments, factory expansions, and government regulations shaping the industrial landscape. As a key driver of economic growth, manufacturing plays a crucial role in global supply chains, technological advancements, and industrial competitiveness.
Vietnam, UAE to cut most import tariffs under new trade deal
Vietnam’s network of Free Trade Agreements–FTAs–has become a cornerstone of its economic strategy, enabling the country to integrate more deeply into the global economy and expand its trade partnerships. Over the past few decades, Vietnam has signed numerous bilateral and multilateral FTAs, positioning itself as a key player in regional and international trade…
Australia’s Commonwealth Bank off-loads another 10 percent of Vietnam’s VIB
This comes after it was announced back in June that the Australian bank would be divesting from the company which VIB’s board of directors reportedly only learned about after the State Bank of Vietnam approved the move. The Commonwealth Bank held a 20 percent stake in the bank at the time.
Media Relations in Vietnam: Lessons from VinFast
How VinFast has managed its brand image and narrative offers some interesting insights into the company and, by extension, how media relations work in Vietnam…
Vietnam garment manufacturing declines in September over August: IIP
The index also found that the ready-made garments (excluding apparel) category, conversely, recorded modest growth of 0.5 percent in September with a year-on-year rise of 12 percent…
Vietnam seafood products across the board see sharp falls in September
Of note, Typhoon Yagi wreaked havoc on northern Vietnam in September and waylaid a large portion of Vietnam’s fishing industry for up to several weeks for some firms…
FDI in Vietnam’s construction sector jumps September over August
Year-to-date, the construction sector has secured 40 new projects with a cumulative registered capital of US$586.7 million, indicating steady interest in Vietnam’s construction industry. For the year-to-date, the average investment per project stands at around US$14.7 million…
Vietnam’s dairy industry production grows 2.8 percent September over August
The year-on-year comparison reveals even more encouraging growth. The index for September 2024 was 5.1 percent higher than the same month last year, showcasing the sector’s resilience and sustained expansion…
Vietnam pharmaceutical materials imports fall 20.41 percent in September over August
Despite a 16.91 percent decline in imports from China (dropping from US$28,664,787 to US$23,817,031), China continues to be Vietnam’s top supplier of pharmaceutical materials, with a year-to-date total of US$245,220,442…
Vietnam furniture production records 3.3 percent month-on-month growth in September
In a year-on-year comparison, production for September 2024 was up by 38.3 percent over the same month in 2023, indicating higher demand in the furniture sector. Furthermore, the cumulative data for the first nine months of 2024 shows a 24.7 percent rise in production compared to the same period last year.
Vietnam’s VinFast has spent US$268.6 million on its stalled North Carolina factory so far
This is notably in that the factory was officially put on hold earlier this year, as the nascent car maker deals with huge losses, legal action, and little interest in its vehicles in the US market. VinFast has said the factory, which was scheduled to start operating next year, will now start operating in 2028.
Vietnam rubber, plastics firm struggle to compete with cheap chinese goods
This is noteworthy in that a lot of the focus with respect to cheap Chinese imports has been on the fact that low value goods are exempt from Vietnam’s Value-added Tax. In this context, applying VAT to these low cost imports has been floated as one way to level the playing field. However, it seems that what Nguyen is saying is that it doesn’t even necessarily need to go that far but rather a simplification of VAT refund procedures and processes could help local firms in the first instance.
Healthcare costs in Vietnam up 8.28 percent year-on-year in September
For the period from January to September 2024, the cost of medicines and medical services surged by 7.46 percent compared to the same period in 2023, underscoring growing pressure on consumers as they face escalating prices in healthcare, but also heightened demand for healthcare services…
Vietnam cosmetics imports fall 12.92 percent September over August
Despite the overall decline, imports from Switzerland surged by 71.79 percent, and France saw an increase of 19.45 percent, likely indicating strong demand for premium or specialised cosmetic products from these countries…
New regulations on higher education for foreign universities in Vietnam
Of note, the new decree prohibits foreign higher education institutions from establishing branches in Vietnam of they are not ranked among the top 500 universities globally for the preceding three years…
Vietnam e-commerce sales reach US$3.3 billion third quarter: report
Notably, affordable products priced under VND 200,000, about US$8, made up over half of the online sales, and official stores, despite being only five percent of the total, contributed nearly a third of the overall revenue, reflecting a preference for authentic, high-quality items…
Gaming venues slated for more surprise inspections in southern Vietnam province
Of note, gambling in Vietnam is illegal but that doesn’t stop a sizable amount of betting occurring. Recognising that this might be a problem, or perhaps that Vietnam is missing out on millions of dollars worth of tax revenue, there have been recent moves to try to legalise the practice…
Vietnam pharmaceutical product imports up 6.95 percent in September over August
Belgium, with an 8.50 percent increase, and Switzerland, with a 32.64 percent increase, both showed steady growth, contributing US$23,789,578 and US$11,205,095 in September, respectively. Alternatively, Japan saw a significant spike in imports, with an 186.40 percent increase, though from a relatively low base. Japan’s total for the year so far now stands at US$52,869,822.
Vietnam News Roundup: October 18 to October 24
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers the latest State Bank open market operations, import-export news, stock market developments including foreign investor trading activity, the most recent IMF GDP growth figures, the new rooftop solar decree, and more…
US DOC make final determination on frozen warmwater shrimp from Vietnam, others
The DOC’s preliminary determination for Vietnam, notes that ‘one or more respondents did not act to the best of their ability to respond to Commerce’s requests for information’. There being only two firms investigated from Vietnam, and given that the second Soc Trang Seafood Joint Stock Company, the other firm, received its own subsidy rate of 2.84 percent, it appears that the aforementioned statement explains Thong Thuan’s much higher subsidy rate…
Vietnam bank lending out pacing deposits creating ‘significant’ liquidity pressure
The Founder of Integrated Financial Solutions, banking consultant Le Hoai An, has told the Vietnam Investment Review that bank lending outstripping new deposits by about 3.7 percent is putting liquidity pressure on Vietnam’s banks. He also notes that a fall in business bank deposits suggests businesses are becoming more heavily reliant on capital from banks…
Vietjet’s parent company calls for stronger aircraft leasing protections just weeks after a UK court authorised the seizure of the airline’s overseas assets. Meanwhile,
In today’s news brief: HP and Asus shift production back to China, Tesla begins hiring in Vietnam, Saigon Commercial Bank closes all but three
In today’s briefing: LPBank’s construction lending has surged 127 percent following revelations that Vingroup’s chairman and his wife became major shareholders. Meanwhile, Vietnam faces
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