Services & Trade
This category includes the service sector, retail, logistics, finance, e-commerce, and tourism, alongside trade policy and investment trends. It covers import/export dynamics, banking regulations, stock market movements, and infrastructure development. With increasing integration into regional and global trade, this section provides insights into consumer behavior, foreign investment, and evolving service industries.
Packaging: Vietnam’s top import sources for paper (June 2025)
Vietnam’s imports of paper saw a significant decline in June 2025, reaching $197,731,747, an -8.41 percent decrease compared to May 2025 according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Real estate: Vietnam’s HCMC short 179,000 housing units as legal hurdles stall supply
Ho Chi Minh City is facing a major housing shortage, having achieved only 24 percent of its 2021–2025 housing development target, according to a Q2 market report from Savills Vietnam, The Investor has reported.
Stock market: VN-Index climbs as financials lead gains Friday, July 18
The VN-Index rose 7.27 points to close at 1,497.28 on July 18, up 0.49 percent, as strong performance in financial stocks offset losses in real estate and IT shares, according to data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange.
Automotive: Vietnam’s biggest import origins for motor vehicles, June 2025
Vietnam’s imports of motor vehicles saw a significant decline in June 2025, reaching $406,926,434, a -4.56 percent decrease compared to May 2025 according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Stock market: VN-Index rises 0.99 percent as foreign investors net sell, Thursday
Vietnam’s benchmark VN-Index climbed 0.99 percent on July 17, closing at 1,490.01 points, with strong gains in large caps and a return to net buying by foreign investors, according to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange.
Banking & finance: Credit imbalance raises red flags for Vietnam’s financial stability
Trillions of dong in new credit have flooded Vietnam’s economy in the past year, but experts warn the bulk is being channelled into real estate and construction — not production — raising concerns over asset inflation and future financial stability, Tuoi Tre has reported. Vietnam’s current credit path suggests a misallocation of capital, with real estate overheating while production lags.
Banking & fianance: Vietnam’s banks face talent shortage finance-tech linked skills
Despite large-scale investment in digital transformation, Vietnamese banks are struggling with a critical shortage of professionals who can bridge finance and technology,, Deputy General Director of LP Bank Luu Danh told a forum, Wednesday, VN Express has reported.
Stock market: VN-Index rises 1.01 percent as foreign investors return to net buying
Vietnam’s stock market gained strongly on 16 July, with the VN-Index closing up over 14 points as foreign investors returned to net buying, led by heavy activity in banks and real estate stocks, according to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange.
Pharmaceuticals: Vietnam’s pharmaceutical products imports by top sources, June 2025
Vietnam’s imports of pharmaceutical products saw a significant increase in June 2025, reaching $468,885,759, a 27.01 percent increase compared to May 2025 according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Trade: Trump announces trade deal with Indonesia – 19 percent tariff, open market access
US President Donald Trump has announced a new trade agreement with Indonesia that he claims will open Indonesia’s entire market to the United States for the first time, while committing Indonesia to significant purchases of American goods, according to a post from the president on Truth Social.
Trade: US launches anti-circumvention probe into Vietnam’s aluminum containers
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has initiated an anti-circumvention investigation into disposable aluminum containers, pans, trays, and lids imported from Vietnam and Thailand, citing possible evasion of duties on Chinese aluminum products, Vietnam News has reported. The investigation underscores growing US scrutiny of supply chain routes involving Vietnam, highlighting challenges for exporters who rely on Chinese inputs.
Banking & finance: Lotte to expand BNPL service in Vietnam
Lotte Group is expanding its buy now, pay later (BNPL) service, in Vietnam as part of its broader strategy to strengthen its financial market footprint and support retail growth, ChosunBiz has reported.
Gambling: Government of Vietnam weighs extending casino access for locals in Phu Quoc
Vietnam is considering allowing Vietnamese citizens to continue gambling at casinos in Phu Quoc beyond the current pilot program, as part of broader economic development plans for the island and the Mekong Delta region, VietnamNet has reported.
Plastics: Vietnam’s top import sources for plastics (June 2025)
Vietnam’s imports of plastics saw a slight decline in June 2025, reaching $1,059,019,080, a -1.24 percent decrease compared to May 2025 according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Electronics: Vietnam’s top import sources for telephones, mobile phones and parts thereof (June 2025)
Vietnam’s imports of telephones, mobile phones and parts thereof saw a significant increase in June 2025, reaching $790,131,168, a 5.80 percent increase compared to May 2025 according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Pharmaceuticals: UK strikes pharmaceutical trade deal with Vietnam
Britain and Vietnam have agreed to a new deal that will ease barriers for UK-made medicines entering Vietnam, aiming to boost British pharmaceutical exports under a faster, more targeted post-Brexit trade strategy, Tuoi Tre has reported.
Stock market: Vietnam’s VN-Index gained 12.66 points to close up 0.87 percent, Monday
The VN-Index advanced by 12.66 points to close at 1,470.42, up 0.87 percent, Monday, according to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange.
Big Cars, Tiny Streets: Will Trump’s Tariff Deal Accelerate US SUV Sales in Vietnam?
Donald Trump recently speculated that Vietnam cutting import tariffs would be a big win for American SUV makers. Whereas the contrast between Vietnam’s narrow streets and large US vehicles has raised eyebrows, there is precedent for such a market, and the idea is not as far-fetched as it at first seems.
Trade: Vietnam PM calls on US businesses to urge government dialogue on tariffs amid deal uncertainty
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged the US business community to play a stronger role in pushing the US Government to reach an agreement on tariffs, state media has reported
Plastics: Vietnam’s top import sources for plastic products (June 2025)
Vietnam’s imports of plastic products saw a significant decline in June 2025, reaching $904,864,074, a -6.41 percent decrease compared to May 2025 according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
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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
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This is an interview with Dr Nuno F. Ribeiro, Associate Professor, International Tourism & Hospitality Management at Copenhagen Business College, formerly of RMIT Vietnam. It