Vietnam news in English for foreign firms doing business in Vietnam

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Korea, US partnership on rare earths to boost industry in Vietnam

the-shiv July 30, 2024

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?

Mark Barnes July 29, 2024

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

the-shiv July 29, 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

the-shiv July 29, 2024

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…

Vietnam land values set for big jump as new Law on Land takes effect

the-shiv July 29, 2024

Land values in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City could jump by up to 51 times their current values if new draft land prices for the city are approved next month, Tuoi Tre is reporting. Already pricey areas of HCMC would also jump by up to five times with high-end shopping strip Dong Khoi Street set to command up to VND 810 million, or US$32,000 per square metre. This is one outcome of the new Law on Land…

First half jump in Vietnam fish exports opportunity for foreign aquatic feed firms

the-shiv July 28, 2024

Vietnam’s fisheries are a core part of its economy, ranking fifth in export value. The aquatic feed market, however, is largely dominated by foreign companies. For pangasius feed, foreign enterprises such as the US’s Cargill, Thailand’s Green Feed, and Netherlands’ De Heus hold about 65 to 70 percent of the market share. Similarly, the shrimp feed market is entirely dominated by foreign firms such as Taiwan’s Uni–President, Thailand‘s CP and France’s Tomboy…

Deputy PM pushes for greater grid feed-in allowances for rooftop solar

the-shiv July 28, 2024

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

the-shiv July 27, 2024

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

the-shiv July 26, 2024

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.

Vietnam’s HCMC feels affordable housing crunch on high land, construction costs

the-shiv July 26, 2024

Notably, from 2018 to the third quarter of 2023, the land price for sale in the South and the North increased by 71 percent and 54 percent, respectively. On average, in urban areas, land costs account for about 10 percent of the cost of apartments and 20 to 30 percent of the cost of townhouses…

US logistics, supply chain management firm opens Vietnam office

the-shiv July 26, 2024

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

the-shiv July 25, 2024

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

the-shiv July 25, 2024

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

the-shiv July 25, 2024

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

the-shiv July 25, 2024

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

the-shiv July 24, 2024

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…

What Does a Devalued Yen Mean for Vietnam?

Mark Barnes July 24, 2024

Earlier this year the Japanese yen hit a 38-year low against the greenback and it’s currently sitting about 15 percent lower now than it was at the start of the year. Similarly, the Vietnamese dong took a big fall but has been propped up by the State Bank which has by extension kept the local currency higher against the Yen too. This article looks at what that might mean for Vietnam…

Vietnam PM pushes car registration reduction, despite legal risks

the-shiv July 23, 2024

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…

Offshore wind in Vietnam should to be developed by state first: MoIT

the-shiv July 23, 2024

Of note, the Power Development Plan 8–known in short as the PDP8–that was approved last year, was embedded with a target of six gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030. The implementation plan for the PDP8 released earlier this year, however, did not list a single offshore wind power project…

Vietnam construction firm posts record quarterly profit, but not from construction

the-shiv July 23, 2024

A closer look, however, reveals that most of this profit stemmed from financial activities, not core construction operations. Specifically, the firm booked nearly VND 503 billion or US$19.86 from the liquidation and sale of fixed assets. Additionally, financial revenue doubled year-over-year to US$1.82 million due to the sale of several of its subsidiaries and affiliated companies. Of note, back in June, Hoa Binh announced that it would divest entirely from loss-making affiliated companies…