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Can LNG really save Vietnam-US trade?
Key Challenges in Vietnam-US Trade Negotiations: Unpacked
Vietnam’s Private Sector Development Push: Unpacked
Vietnam’s Aviation Industry: State of Play 2025
Vietnam and the Middle Income Trap: Unpacked
Vietnam’s 8 Percent GDP Growth Target: Unpacked
Buy More, Sell Less: Tackling Vietnam’s Trade Surplus with the US
Is Vietnam the Next Asian Tiger Economy?
What Recent Traffic Reforms Say About Doing Business in Vietnam
Building An International Financial Centre in Vietnam: Unpacked
Vietnam’s Economy in 2024: A Brief Recap
What to Watch Now Google Has An Office in Vietnam
Does Vietnam Have a Private Consumption Problem Too?
Steel: Hoa Phat says U.S. tariffs unlikely to impact Vietnam exports directly
US Section 232 tariffs already apply to Vietnamese steel and will not be expanded, Hoa Phat CEO Nguyen Viet Thang has told Financial Street as reported by The Investor.
Semiconductors: Vietnam begins construction of first fully locally led chip factory
CT Semiconductor has broken ground on Vietnam’s first chip plant developed entirely with Vietnamese technology. The factory aims to produce 100 million chips annually by 2027, with operations starting in Q4 2025, VietnamNet has reported.
Healthcare: Vietnam’s health and social assistance sector records US$92 million in March FDI
The health and social assistance sector saw US$92 million in foreign direct investment in March. No new projects were reported during the month, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Technology: Vietnam’s science and technology sector sees over US$235 million in March FDI commitments
The professional, scientific and technological activities sector attracted US$235.95 million in foreign direct investment in March, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This included 46 new projects worth just US$12 million, indicating modest initial capital commitments.
Vietnam News Roundup: April 25 to May 1
This week’s Vietnam news roundup covers Vietnam’s response to the proposed 46 percent US tariff, VinFast’s latest earnings, World Bank forecasts, SBV market activity, and more.
Tourism and hospitality: Vietnam tourist arrivals from Europe up 19 percent in March
Vietnam received 285,526 European visitors in March, up 19.1 percent from February, according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Tourism. Year-to-date arrivals reached 791,872, a 19.6 percent increase compared to the first quarter of 2024, marking a significant boost to Vietnam’s tourism industry.
Agriculture: Vietnam’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector records US$3 million in March FDI
The agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector attracted US$3.07 million in foreign direct investment in March. This included 1 new project worth US$2 million, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Real Estate: Vietnam’s March real estate sector FDI over US$915 million
Foreign direct investment into real estate projects in Vietnam totalled US$915.70 million in March, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The sector saw 12 new projects valued at US$759 million, accounting for more than 80 percent of the total inflow into real esate.
ICT: Vietnam’s information and communication sector recordsUS$103 million in March FDI
The information and communication sector attracted US$102.93 million in foreign direct investment in March. This included 22 new projects valued at just US$2 million, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Vietnam FDI by Sector: March Update [data set] : Projects, Capital
Vietnam added another 334 new foreign direct invested projects in March, along with just over US$4.01 billion in additional capital commitments, according to data from Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment. The biggest gains were in manufacturing and processing which added 123 new projects and US$1.17 billion in capital commitments.
Tourism and hospitality: Vietnam March tourist arrivals from Asia top 2 million
Vietnam welcomed 2.05 million tourists from Asia in March 2025, up 8 percent from February, according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Tourism data. For the first quarter, tourist arrivals from Asia reached 4.71 million, marking a 34 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024 and a significant boost for Vietnam’s tourism industry.
Vietnam’s cashew nut exports surge by 92.44 percent in March
Vietnam’s cashew nut exports rose sharply by 92.44 percent in March compared to February, reaching US$384.19 million, according to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Vietnam’s imports of motor vehicle parts rose nearly 17 percent in March
Vietnam imported US$480.83 million worth of parts and accessories of motor vehicles in March, up 16.78 percent from February, according to Vietnam’s General Department of Customs. The year-to-date import value stood at US$1.27 billion.
Vietnam’s rolled steel output down 1.8 percent year-on-year in Q1
Vietnam’s rolled steel production reached 1,136,300 tons in March, up from 1,065,100 tons in February, but 3 percent lower than the same month last year. Total output for the first quarter stood at 3,340,700 tons, reflecting a 1.8 percent year-on-year decline, according to data from the General Statistics Office.
Dairy: TH Group to invest US$234 million in southern Vietnam factory expansion
Vietnamese dairy giant TH true MILK plans to build a US$234 million (VND6.07 trillion) factory in Binh Duong province to produce milk, yoghurt, ice cream, and non-alcoholic beverages, with phased development through 2037, English language news site, The Investor is reporting.
Automotive: Vietnam’s luxury car market reaches US$1.9 billion, slow growth projected through 2033
Vietnam’s luxury car market reached a valuation of US$1.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow modestly to US$2.1 billion by 2033, according to a new report by IMARC Group. Rising affluence, urban expansion, and social status-driven purchases are supporting demand, though the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to remain low at 1.15 percent.
Tourism & Hospitality: Dusit Hotels and Resorts set to make Vietnam capital debut
Thai hospitality group Dusit Hotels and Resorts will open Dusit Le Palais Tu Hoa Hanoi on May 9, 2025, marking its firs foray into the capital with a 207-room luxury property overlooking West Lake, Hospitality Net has reported.
Consumer goods: Vietnam’s online premium cosmetics market to triple by 2033
Vietnam’s online premium cosmetics market is set to surge from US$265.15 million in 2024 to over US$643.86 million by 2033, driven by Gen Z consumers, tech innovation, and eco-conscious spending, according to a report from Astute Analytica
Energy: Vietnam PM pushes for US$6 billion gas deal with US to stabilise trade
Vietnam’s Prime Minister has ordered urgent negotiations to finalise a US$6 billion methanol gas import agreement with the United States, framing it as a cornerstone of efforts to balance trade and defuse tariff tensions. The PM has said he expects a deal to be finalised in May, according to Cafe F.
Marx to the Market: A Brief History of Vietnam’s Post-Reunification Economic Development
Fifty years ago this month, the citizens of Ho Chi Minh City were watching the skies as US military helicopters evacuated the last of their personnel. Conversely, this month, in 2025, the citizens of Ho Chi Minh City looking skyward are unlikely to see US helicopters and instead more likely to see the VN Pay logo made up of tens of hundreds of drones. An advertisement for a banking and finance app to be sure, this is also largely emblematic of just how far Vietnam’s economic ideology has shifted in the last 50 years.
April 2025
Labour Market Report
Q1 2025
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