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.
Taiwan footwear maker to drop US$100 million on new factory in central Vietnam
This will add to Dah Lih Puh’s existing operations in Vietnam which are mostly conducted through its subsidiary Viet Glory. Viet Glory came to prominence in Vietnam in October of 2023, when 7000 of its workers went on strike in search of a pay rise. This was successful with workers returning to work six days later for a bigger paycheck…
Vietnam imports reach US$33.7 billion in August, down .4 percent vs July
Of note, Vietnam’s role in manufacturing supply chains is mostly in the final stages of assembly and packaging which is often performed using imported parts and components. The slight fall in imports month-on-month could therefore be indicative of a future decline in exports. That said, it is only data from one month–July’s imports were up 11.2 percent over June and one data point does not a pattern make. That said, it may still be worth keeping an eye on…
Vietnam steel pipes and tubes to face dumping duties in India
Of note, India also initiated an anti-dumping probe, at the request of the Indian Steel Association, back in August, into hot rolled coiled-steel from Vietnam. With this in mind, this latest piece of news may be an augur of things to come for Vietnam’s steel industry…
Vietnam exports reach US$37.8 billion in August, up 4.3 percent vs July
This data sita along side an increase in Vietnam’s Industrial Production Index of 2 percent in August over July and a Purchasing Managers’ Index in a growth phase for the fifth month in a row, speaks to further improvement in Vietnam’s manufacturing and processing industry after a challenging 2023…
Vietnam’s banks take lion’s share of Vietnam’s corporate bond debt in August
The bulk of these corporate bonds were issued to Vietnam’s banks which is inline with observations in July that a shift is taking place. Specifically, corporate bond debt looks to be moving from the real estate and construction sectors across to the banking sector which would fit with the broader narrative around real estate firms struggling to access capital.
Vietnam outbound FDI falls 64.6 percent year-on-year to end August
Mining, processing and manufacturing, and retail were the biggest recipients accounting for 39.8, 19.7, and 16.8 percent, respectively. These investments have mostly been concentrated in the Netherlands, Laos, the UK, and the USA accounting for 37.1, 25.78, 13.4, and 12.7 percent of these investments, respectively…
Asia Commercial Bank: Vietnam Stock Overview
In the first half of 2024, ACB’s total operating income and net profit rose by 5.5 percent and 4.7 percent year-over-year respectively. This positive growth was primarily attributed to a more stable macroeconomic environment and a rebound in credit demand. As a result, the stock price has risen by 21.2 percent from the beginning of 2024 to September 9…
Starlink exec meets with Vietnam Prime Minister but no clear outcomes reached
Of note, back in March, it was reported that SpaceX has put plans to launch its satellite service on hold in Vietnam due to Vietnam’s foreign ownership limits in the telecommunications industry–Foreign ownership in telecommunications services that include infrastructure are capped at 51 percent in Vietnam for most countries…
Can Vietnam Ever Quit Coal?
At the Conference of Parties in Glasgow in 2021, Vietnam committed to reducing its carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050 a big part of which was reducing the burgeoning Southeast Asian nation’s dependence on coal. Three years on, however, and Vietnam’s de-coalification appears to have stalled with coal power and coal imports both on the rise. So what’s changed? Why has it changed? And what might happen next?
Revenue at Samsung’s Vietnam operations up in first half of 2024
This is a significant development in that Samsung accounts for a huge portion of Vietnam’s exports in dollar value terms. At times this has been as high as 20 percent though this is slowly coming down as more manufacturing firms set up shop in Vietnam…
Private sector CEOs in Vietnam on almost double SOE counterparts
Notably, earlier this year the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, suggested SOEs should consider foreigners for executive positions. He went on to say that better remuneration packages and higher salaries would be key. This latest development adds some context to the Prime Minister’s remarks and suggests that improvement in remuneration would need to be sizable.
Singapore food conglomerate to build coffee processing plant in central Vietnam
This announcement is in line with Vietnam being one of the biggest coffee producers in the world. This has seen a number of key international brands develop processing facilities in Vietnam. Notably, last year, France’s Louis Dreyfus Company and Poland’s Instanta Sp. z o.o. inaugurated a freeze-dried instant coffee production facility in Vietnam’s Binh Duong province. The project reportedly cost US$84.2 million with a capacity of 5,600 tonnes…
Vietjet Air: Vietnam Stock Overview
Moving forward, total demand for air passenger transport in 2024 is forecast to reach 84.2 million passengers, an increase of 15 percent compared to 2023. However, the aviation industry has been facing a shortage of aircraft due to a recall of Pratt & Whitney engines. VJC has had to temporarily ground 22 of its 85 aircraft for maintenance and repairs and this may last until 2025…
Vietnam’s Saigon Beer maker planning increased stake in local beer brand Sagota
Vietnam’s beer market has reported some challenges over the last couple of years from stricter enforcement of drink driving laws, to belt-tightening among consumers on the back of broader economic challenges, to greater competition and an increase in imported beers. As a result, a number of beer makers in Vietnam have recorded negative or slower than expected growth. In this context, this announcement could be the beginning of an era of consolidation within the industry…
Canadian takes reins of Vietnam’s biggest tech firm after police raid
One of Vietnam’s biggest tech firms, VNG, which operates the popular social messaging app Zalo and makes video games, has appointed Canadian Kelly Wong acting CEO after a police raid of its office in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday, Tuoi Tre is reporting. Wong will be stepping up from his
The New York Times receives licence to open Vietnam office
Of note, it’s not easy to do business in Vietnam for foreign news media outlets. Vietnam’s media industry is small and heavily regulated, particularly in terms of censoring content, though this does not seem to apply to international media outlets to the extent that it does to local news media producers. That said, foreign news operations in Vietnam are still limited in terms of what they can do…
Vietnam tech giant VNG raided for reasons unknown
The company has confirmed the raid in a statement but has provided no details as to why. Local media reported on the event at large before removing any reference to the event. It’s also unclear as to why…
Vietnam’s August Consumer Price Index stable at 4.04 percent
Vietnam’s Consumer Price Index slowed in August over July recording an increase of 3.45 percent compared to July’s 4.27 percent. Overall CPI remained steady at 4.04 percent safely within the government’s target range for the year of between 4 and 4.5 percent. Core inflation, meanwhile, saw an increase of 2.71
Vietnam’s Industrial Production Index up 9.5 percent year-on-year
The GSO notes that the processing and manufacturing industry increased by 9.7 percent, that the electricity production and distribution industry increased by 11.6 percent, and the water supply, waste and wastewater management and treatment industry increased by 7.8 percent. It does, however, also note that the mining industry decreased by 6 percent.
Vietnam foreign direct investment registered capital for 2024 reaches US$20.5
The biggest gain was in manufacturing and processing which added 134 new projects and US$1.51 billion. The biggest investor countries were China, Japan, and Singapore, in that order, with US$626 million, US$605 million, and US$271 million registered respectively…
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