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’s PM asks Japan for ODA support for North-South railway
This comes after the Ministry of Transport announced that it intended to avoid foreign loans to pay for the project in favour of utilising domestic finances…
Vietnam International Bank: Vietnam Stock Overview
In the first half of 2024, VIB’s total operating income rose by 0.6 percent year-over-year to reach US$417 million, while profit before tax dropped by 18.4 percent to US$185.4 million…
Vietnam News Roundup: October 4 to October 10
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers the latest growth forecasts; data updates re: tourist arrivals, and imports and exports; the latest breakdown of Vietnam’s key power sources; a corporate bond issuances update; the possibility of a Trump hotel and resort in northern Vietnam, and more…
Vietnam growth risks ‘tilted toward the downside’: AMRO
Risks to growth are tilted towards the downside due to weaker-than-expected consumer demand in the U.S., a sharp growth slowdown in Europe, and slower growth in China among several other challenges, according to the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office.
Vietnam corporate bond issuances halve month-on-month in September
Vietnam’s corporate bond market saw 25 bond issuances–24 private and 1 public–worth a collective VND 23,800 billion, US$958 million, in September, according to data from the Vietnam Bond Market Association. This was a sizable fall compared to August…
Saigon – Hanoi Commercial Bank: Vietnam Stock Overview
Net interest income declined by 3.7 percent, in contrast to the broader trend where banks like VPBank, HDBank, and VietinBank saw significant growth in net interest income during the first half of the year. Of note, SHB’s credit growth declined slightly by 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024. In response, the bank reduced lending interest rates in late March to compete for credit demand, however, this led to a drop in its net interest margin…
Trump Organisation signs MOU on golf course, hotel development in Vietnam
The Trump Organisation and Vietnam’s Hung Yen Investment Group which is owned by Vietnam developer Kinhbac, have signed a memorandum of understanding with respect to developing a golf course and hotel complex in Vietnam’s Hung Yen province. Kinh Bac, in a press release, has said the total investment will be in the vicinity of US$1.5 billion. Of note, it’s not clear that any of these funds will come from the Trump Organisation. The press release specifically states that it will be developed by a ‘consortium of investors selected by the Trump Organization’.
Vietnam risking “one-way connector” role in global trade: World Bank
“Countries like Vietnam have benefited from “connecting” major trading partners as global tensions rose, but the scope for playing such a role may be shrinking,” according to the World Bank.
Vietnam National Petroleum Group: Vietnam Stock Overview
Recent growth has been fueled by stable petroleum business operations and a 0.6 percent increase in PLX’s output compared to 2023. Additionally, PLX opened 60 new fuel stations during the first seven months of the year…
EVN Reports 10.9 percent increase in power output from January to September 2024
The bulk of this power has been produced by burning coal which accounted for 49.6 percent of Vietnam’s electricity supply in the third quarter of the year, though notably this was down from about 57 percent in the first half of the year…
‘Destination Vietnam’ campaign kicks into gear with Directors Guild of America event
Of note, however, is that the business environment in Vietnam has changed significantly in terms of regulatory oversight and censorship, both of which have proven key obstacles for foreign studios looking to make films in Vietnam…
German fitness chain Fit24 halts operations in Vietnam, reasons unclear
Of note, Opening a gym in Vietnam for foreign firms or individuals, however, is not always easy. Not only are there several technical and licensing requirements that need to be met, but Vietnam has also developed its own very distinct gym culture. This can take a little getting used to and may make penetrating Vietnam’s gym-going consumer class challenging…
Paying For Vietnam’s High-Speed Rail: Unpacked
Vietnam’s Transport Ministry has said that Vietnam’s high-speed railway project connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will utilise domestic finances and technology, as opposed to support from abroad. It is, however, expensive and financing it alone will be challenging.
Thailand launches anti dumping probe into steel from Vietnam
This adds to a growing list of investigations into steel import from Vietnam that includes South Korea, India, and the European Union and comes as cheap Chinese steel floods markets around the world. Of note there has been some suspicion that Chinese steel makers may be using Vietnam as an intermediary to circumvent trade tariffs in other countries on their own steel products…
Vietnam’s outbound investment still sluggish in September 2024
Vietnamese investors had launched 105 new projects and adjusted investment capital 18 times for the year to Septemberty. While the mining sector remained dominant, its share of investment dropped from 39.8 percent in August to 33 percent in September. Meanwhile, the electricity production and distribution sector accounted for 13.2 percent of total capital invested.
Vietnam’s GDP growth hits 7.4 percent in Q3 2024 [with table breakdown]
Vietnam’s GDP grew by 7.4 percent in the third quarter of 2024 compared to 2023, according to data from the General Office of Statistics. A total of 4.08 percent of Vietnam’s GDP this year has come from the forestry and fishery sector; with industry and construction accounting for a further 48.88 percent and the service sector accounting for the remaining 47.04 percent.
Vietnam Prosperity Commercial Bank: Vietnam Stock Overview
Notably, VPBank’s bad debt ratio is higher than many other banks, largely due to its high-risk business model. Unsecured loans and real estate made up 20 percent and 22 percent of its total credit, respectively…
AMRO lowers ASEAN growth forecast on Vietnam, Indonesia downward revisions
ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office–AMRO–has lowered its growth forecast for the ASEAN region from 4.8 percent to 4.7 percent after revising down the GDP growth forecasts of Vietnam and Indonesia by a tenth of a point each, according to the body’s ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook Update, October 2024. “The sharp but
Vietnam News Roundup: September 27 to October 3
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers consumer bank deposits, an update on the Mercedes-Benz plant in HCMC, Vietnam’s latest GDP forecasts, and more…
Vietnamese consumer bank deposits continue to climb
Of note, over the last two years in the wake of a broader economic downturn brought on by higher interest rates in key export markets and the near-collapse of Vietnam’s real estate market, everyday Vietnamese have turned to saving rather than spending their excess income. This is problematic in that local consumption has been an important growth driver over the last decade or so. Retail sales, month on month, however, have been more or less stagnant since the beginning of the year. This latest data from the SBV suggests this could last a while longer…
In today’s Vietnam news: GS TL on AI, Saigon Economic Times last issue, Fuel prices cut, Vinhomes issuing more bonds, Counterfeit Korean cosmetics store,
In today’s Vietnam news: Power supply imports, Hanoi boulevard project protests, Antidumping duties coming for boxes, Maersk container terminal project Hanoi, Vinpearl foreign investment,
In today’s Vietnam news: Credit limits removed for some major projects, Estonian web security company market entry, Vingroup’s Vuong becomes major shareholder LP Bank,
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