This is a brief rundown of what is being reported today in Vietnam’s state-approved media and some others.
It compiles coverage from official outlets like Dan Tri, Tuoi Tre, and VN Express, highlighting the narratives currently shaping the country’s economic, financial, and business news landscape.
AMRO: VN gov’t bond market
Amro-Asia has an article that examines Vietnam government bond market concentration among domestic institutional investors, led by Vietnam Social Security, which held 40 percent of outstanding bonds in 2024.
It notes mispriced yields, with ten-year bonds near 3 percent, longer maturities below shorter tenors, and no bonds under five years issued since 2017, noting that the lack of depth in the market may prevent funding challenges in the future.
Ed.’s notes: Well-written explainer of the government bond market and the challenges it faces.
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Writing instruments market
Persistence Market Research has published a report in which it values the Vietnam writing instruments market at US$116.3 million in 2026 and forecasts the market to grow to US$153.5 million by 2033 at a 4 percent CAGR.
It reports demand drivers including near-universal school enrolment, education modernisation, e-commerce growth, and rising middle-class consumption, with students accounting for 43 percent of total demand.
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SBV repo issuances jump
Dan Tri is reporting that Vietnam dong overnight interbank rates rose 3.9 percentage points to 9.1 percent on February 2, amid Tet liquidity pressure and tax payment season.
The article notes outstanding open market operations (reverse repos) balances rose to VND 376.226 trillion (US$14.29 billion), while some banks traded overnight funds intraday at rates up to 13 percent.
Ed.’s notes: Another US$3 billion + of repos issued yesterday, too.
US$14.29 at 4.5 percent = US$1.76 million per day, the State Bank is paying in interest on these repos.
Liquidity issues speak to credit-powered growth strategy looking increasingly unsustainable.
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Vingroup-linked steel firm losses
Dan Tri is reporting that steel maker Pomina has continued to record heavy losses in 2025 despite market attention around potential support from Vingroup.
It describes declining revenue, reduced output, and continued losses linked to factory shutdowns and high fixed and financial costs.
Ed.’s notes: A brief timeline: 6/10/2025 Vingroup establishes Vinmetal; 13/11 hires General Director and Vice President of Pomina as Vinmetal General Director; 26/11 Vingroup announces deal with Pomina, including return of General Director; 4/2 Pomina reports huge loss in 2025 – what is happening here? #monitoring
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State miner record profit higher minerals prices
Dan Tri is reporting that state-controlled miner Vimico achieved record profit performance in 2025 from mining and selling gold, silver, copper, and zinc.
It details strong fourth quarter results supported by higher selling prices for precious and base metals and increased sales volumes for several products.
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Cheap imported meat
Dau Tu Kien Thuc is reporting that meat imports are surging because domestic livestock supply remains unstable and is struggling to meet consumption demand on disease outbreaks, rising input costs, and volatile animal feed prices.
It says imported meat is significantly cheaper than domestic products, with the price gap intensifying competitive pressure on small and medium sized livestock farmers.
Ed.’s notes: African swine fever, sure, but cheaper imports are also structural: free trade has opened market access to more developed agriculture industries where scale, automation, and technology offset higher wages. This is versus Vietnam’s lower labour costs but fragmented, small-holder farming base.
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Stock exchange foreign trader requirements eased
VnExpress is reporting that Vietnam issued a circular allowing foreign investors to trade securities via global brokers without opening local brokerage accounts.
It also removes disclosure requirements for failed non-prefunding settlements, instead applying trading suspensions for repeated violations.
The rules also allow foreign fund managers to open two trading accounts.
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Unofficial soccer streaming sites shutdown
Dau Tu Kien Thuc is reporting that several major illegal football streaming websites in Vietnam abruptly stopped operating on February 2 without explanation.
It states these sites had long evaded network blocks by frequently changing domains.
The report notes social media pages, anonymous commentators, and Telegram channels linked to the platforms also ceased updates from the same date.
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VLBA Decree 46 postponement request
VN Economy is reporting that the Vietnam Logistics Business Association has asked the government to suspend Decree 46 on food safety until March 31, due to severe port congestion.
It says thousands of containers of production inputs are stuck because new rules removed exemptions without workable transitional guidance.
It warns that the rules risk widespread supply chain disruption during Tet and cannot be absorbed by the current inspection and logistics system.
Ed.’s notes: Unclear why/how Decree 46 happened the way it did (very quickly without supporting guidelines).
Possibly connected to food safety concerns re: Ha Long Canfoco ASF contamination? As in for the aesthetic of action being taken, maybe? #monitoring
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Arrest / 8.4 billion stolen emails
Tuoi Tre is reporting that the police in Tuyen Quang have charged three people for illegally accessing email accounts and trading stolen login credentials obtained from hackers.
The article states the group bought, accessed, and traded login information linked to more than 8.4 billion user email accounts worldwide.
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Emissions testing motorcycles roadmap
Thanh Nien is reporting that Vietnam has delayed mandatory motorbike emissions testing until July 2027.
Testing will begin with older vehicles first, before expanding to cover all motorbikes over several years in major cities, then nationwide.
Ed.’s notes: This contrasts with Hanoi’s petrol motorbike ban announced last year – a phased emissions reduction over years rather than banning petrol bikes altogether – speaks to conflicting policies and objectives of different stakeholders and key players.
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Copper buying on silver / gold price swings
Thanh Nien is reporting that retail investors are being urged on social media to buy physical copper for storage after gold and silver price swings.
It notes copper lacks retail liquidity, has no buyback market like gold, and is typically traded by manufacturers or on commodity exchanges.
Ed.’s notes: Not clear how serious this is. #monitoring
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Interview: Digital Asset Exchange
the-shiv is carrying an interview with Thanh Le, founder of Coin98, in which he discusses Vietnam’s evolving digital asset regulations and how Coin98 is repositioning amid tighter oversight.
Exchange rates Tuesday
the-shiv is reporting that on February 3, in Vietnam, the black market US dollar buy rate was VND 26,550 and the sell rate was VND 26,600, a change of 100 and 100, respectively, for a mid-market rate of VND 26,575 (up 0.38 percent), according to prices quoted by Ty Gia USD.
Meanwhile, the State Bank of Vietnam’s central exchange rate was set at VND 25,069, while the Google Finance mid-market rate stood at VND 26,002.
Stock market Tuesday
the-shiv is reporting that the VN-Index closed at 1,997.69, down 6.62 points or 0.33 percent, with a total trading value of VND 18,211.52 billion or US$691.14 million, and foreign traders net-selling US$23.68 million worth of equities, Tuesday, according to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange → view source.
Wheat imports
the-shiv is reporting that Vietnam imported wheat to the tune of US$79 million in December, down from US$117 million in November, a change of -33.05 percent, according to preliminary data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Year to date, Vietnam had imported US$1,459 million worth of wheat by the end of December.
Plastics exports
the-shiv is reporting that Vietnam exported plastics to the tune of US$203 million in December, up from US$200 million in November, a change of 1.33 percent, according to preliminary data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs.
Year to date, Vietnam had exported US$2,347 million worth of plastics by the end of December.
Yesterday’s Vietnam news roundup
In yesterday’s Vietnam news roundup: Cashless payments data, Vietnam’s silver market, LNG demand study, VN owned semiconductor testing / packaging facility, Japan firms competition China, Retail foot traffic report, Defence procurement Israel tech, Vietnam PMI, Trade remedies Indonesian / Malaysian glass, Mortgage interest rates 13.9 percent, Imports from Hong Kong, Exports to Cambodia, Stock market Monday, Exchange rates Monday, Rubber imports, Petrol product exports, Yesterday’s Vietnam news roundup, and more.