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.
Dumping complaint received by European Commission RE: Vietnamese steel
Trade remedies against Vietnam’s exports have increased significantly in recent years in large part due to Chinese firms using Vietnam as a thoroughfare to avoid tariffs on Chinese exports in other parts of the world. Electric bikes and solar panels, for example. It’s not clear that this is the case with HRC but if the EU finds as such it should not come as a surprise…
Korea, US partnership on rare earths to boost industry in Vietnam
Of note, the US Geological Survey’s Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024 estimated Vietnam’s rare earth reserves to be in the vicinity of 22 million tons. China, which has the largest reserves, for comparison, is estimated to have double that at 44 million tons, and Brazil which comes in third place has roughly 21 million tons. But having all of these reserves is one thing, getting them out of the ground is quite another…
How is the EVFTA Working Out for Vietnam?
On Thursday, Vietnam and the European Union will mark the fourth anniversary of the European Union Vietnam Free Trade Agreement or the EVFTA for short. This agreement has brought down tariff barriers and boosted trade but it hasn’t been without its challenges, some of which still persist. This article looks at how this landmark agreement has been implemented, the challenges it has faced, and the challenges it still faces…
Vietnam animal feed imports up 9.6 percent in first half 2024
This is partly because corn and soya beans, common components in animal feed, are produced domestically but at low yields and subsequently a higher cost compared to global prices. Vietnam imports these commodities from countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and the United States. In the first half of 2024, Vietnam’s import value of corn and soya beans reached US$1.2 billion and US$561 million respectively…
Olympics kicks off but Vietnam won’t be watching with no broadcast rights
Notably, Vietnam was relatively late securing the rights to the Tokyo Olympics with a deal only made two-days before the opening ceremony. A last minute deal this time around, however, seems unlikely–it would be very last minute. That said, it’s not clear there is a lot of interest in Vietnam in the Olympics anyway and it could be that cash strapped local media outlets are saving their money for sports, namely soccer, that are hugely popular in Vietnam and subsequently command much bigger audiences…
Deputy PM pushes for greater grid feed-in allowances for rooftop solar
Of note, originally the MoIT had been pushing for no feed-in tariffs on rooftop solar. It had then, at the request of the government, reluctantly agreed to have feed-in tariffs–paid at about 2.6 cents per kilowatt-hour–but limited to just ten percent of the installation’s capacity. This is off the back of past rooftop solar policies causing broad challenges for Vietnam’s electricity sector…
Taiwan electronics giant to manufacture Nintendo Switch gaming consoles in northern Vietnam
This investment aligns with a broader trend of Taiwanese manufacturers diversifying their supply chains by expanding operations in ASEAN, especially into Vietnam. In addition to Foxconn, other Taiwanese electronics giants such as Pegatron, Compal, and Wistron have also established manufacturing facilities in the country…
Vietnam credit growth reaches 6 percent to June
Of note, last year, credit growth limits languished for the better part of the year. In October, however, when it became clear that the same 14 percent credit growth target would not be hit, Vietnam’s banks embarked on some very aggressive marketing campaigns. Rising bad debts in the first six months of this year, however, could suggest there were some quality issues with these loans.
US logistics, supply chain management firm opens Vietnam office
Of note, in 2023 Vietnam’s transportation and storage sector surpassed VND 502.56 trillion or US$19.807 billion, constituting 4.92 percent of the country’s total GDP. This could represent broad opportunities for foreign firms, however, foreign ownership limits in logistics services can be very restrictive. For example, foreign firms are prohibited from owning more than 34 percent of an airline…
Vietnam News Roundup: July 19 to July 25
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers foreign trader stock market activity, bad debts, GDP targets, offshore wind developments, a new waste-to-energy plant in HCMC, soft drink market forecasts, and the latest developments in Vietnam’s quest to have its designation as a ‘non-market’ economy revoked by the US Department of Commerce, and more…
Vietnam bad debt hits 6.9 percent
Of note, pursuant to amendments to Circular 39 made in June, loan applications for less than VND 100 million or about US$4,000 no longer need to detail a plan for the borrowed funds. Also back in November and December of last year, to meet annual credit growth targets, Vietnam’s banks embarked on some pretty aggressive lending campaigns that saw credit growth jump considerably but in what looked like mostly consumer loans. It could be that some of these loans are now turning bad…
Vietnam market-economy review outcome postponed to August
Of note, Vietnam’s efforts to be redesignated a market economy for trade remedies purposes has been met with quite a bit of resistance in the United States. Its case for redesignation is also pretty shaky in a few areas, currency convertibility and government, for example. As such it’s not really clear which way the DOC might fall…
Vietnam targeting GDP CAGR of 10.18 percent to 2030
Vietnam’s GDP is currently US$4,620 according to IMF data which would mean Vietnam’s GDP would need to grow at a compounded annual growth rate–a CAGR–of 10.18 percent. For comparison, in the last five years Vietnam’s GDP has grown on a CAGR of just 6.08 percent…
Vietnamese conglomerate kicks off construction of waste-to-energy plant in HCMC
Of note, Vietnam currently has 15 waste-to-energy plants under construction. However, only three facilities are operational, processing approximately 10 percent of the country’s total waste. The country discharges roughly 60,000 tons of household waste daily, with an average annual increase of 6 percent projected between 2021 and 2030…
Vietnam PM pushes car registration reduction, despite legal risks
Of note, concerns were raised by the Ministry of Finance last week, that a car registration fee reduction policy that applies only to locally made vehicles could contravene the European Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and Vietnam could be at risk of being sued. This was reportedly raised by the EU as a potential problem earlier this year…
Korean ratings firm enters Vietnam’s credit rating market
This is part of a wider push to improve the quality of Vietnam’s corporate bond market after a number of high profile cases of fraud were revealed. For example, in 2022, Hanoi-based developer of luxury apartment projects, Tan Hoang Minh, was alleged to have defrauded investors of up to VND 10 trillion though corporate bond issuances…
US firms Qorvo, Cadence launch chip design course in Vietnam
This cooperation in training semiconductor chip human resources between the U.S. and Vietnam follows on from a commitment made by The US president during his visit to Hanoi in September last year. It also fits with Vietnam’s ambitions to become a hub for semiconductor chip manufacturing companies, although a lack of skilled labour has proved problematic…
Vietnam’s footwear exports recovering on back of lower tariffs
The surge in exports has been largely driven by the elimination of import duties through various free trade agreements. When the EVFTA came into effect in 2020, for example, tariff lines on Vietnamese footwear exported to the EU reduced by 37 percent, with any remaining tariffs to be eliminated progressively by 2027…
Vietnamese to consume additional 2.56 million litres of soft drink by 2033
Of note, Vietnam is currently debating adding soft drinks to the list of items subject to the Special Consumption Tax. In the most recent version of a revised SCT, the Ministry of Finance has included a ten percent tax on drinks with 5 grams or more of sugar per 100 millilitres. This legislation, however, is still in its draft stage…
Vietnam gold price jumps about 4 percent in one day
This is in line with the market moving to its own beat, often much higher than the world gold price, on the back of regulations that severely limit the importation of gold yet a culture that sees gold as an important store of wealth. This, coupled with challenging economic conditions, has fueled demand with the State Bank, reluctant to allow the import of more gold in the event it might put greater pressure on the local currency. Instead it has taken to selling gold from its own reserves to deflate the gold bar price…
In today’s Vietnam news: Crypto transfers to VN not necessary, Novaland bond changes, Perspectives on garment industry, Working hours cut proposed, Adding political component
In today’s Vietnam news: Fuel prices cut, Double-digit growth target reinforced, New airport services delay approval requested, TikTok VN investment, Bybit in Vietnam, LG
In today’s Vietnam news: VN renews antidumping tariffs on Thai sugar, Power supply challenges continue, USTR tariffs forced labour, AMRO growth forecast downgrade, Foreign
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