This is a brief rundown of what is being reported today in Vietnam’s state-approved media and about Vietnam in the international press.
It endeavours to highlight the narratives currently shaping the country’s economic, financial, and business news landscape.
Ed’s note: I’m always looking for new sources with unique insights. If you’re operating a business or working in Vietnam and want to talk about it, reach out: mark.barnes@the-shiv.com
Plan to limit ownership term housing abandoned
Dan Tri is reporting that Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction has removed a proposal for time-limited apartment ownership from its latest draft revised Housing Law following public and industry feedback.
The earlier proposal would have ended apartment ownership when buildings reached their designated lifespan or were legally required to be demolished. View source→
Ed.’s notes: This idea keeps coming up even though every time it does it’s pretty quickly abandoned.
Secondary apartment prices Hanoi falling
Lao Dong is reporting that secondary apartment prices in Hanoi fell during the second quarter of 2026, but lower prices have yet to improve market liquidity.
Avison Young Vietnam reported declines of 5-12 percent at many projects, while CBRE Vietnam recorded the first quarterly secondary-market price fall since 2022.
Meanwhile, primary prices rose more than 2 percent quarter-on-quarter as over 75 percent of newly launched apartments were in high-end and luxury segments. View source→
ADB pushes higher productivity growth
VnExpress is reporting that Asian Development Bank experts have said that Vietnam needs to shift towards productivity-led growth, in the context of a reported 8.18 percent GDP growth in the first half of the year.
ADB Country Director for Vietnam Shantanu Chakraborty has said sustained growth will require moving away from reliance on capital, low-cost labour and foreign direct investment. View source→
VND forecast relative to region
Vietnam Plus is reporting that Shan Saeed, global chief economist at Juwai IQI, has forecast the Vietnamese dong to trade between VND25,700 and VND26,800 per US dollar in the second half of 2026, with a weaker US dollar expected to benefit Malaysia’s ringgit and Indonesia’s rupiah more than the dong. View source→
Garment and textile trade diversion EVFTA
The Financial Express is reporting that Bangladesh’s garment exports to the European Union could fall by as much as 44 percent as a result of Vietnam and India’s trade agreements with the bloc, according to Bangladesh’s Research and Policy Integration for Development.
The organisation went on to note Vietnam was a strong competitor in man-made-fibre apparel, although its reliance on Chinese fabrics can complicate compliance with European Union rules of origin. View source→
VN-Index performance without Vingroup
The Investor is reporting that Vietcombank Fund Management has said the local bourse is considerably cheaper than headline valuations suggest, with Vingroup-related stocks distorting the benchmark.
Portfolio management director Pham Le Duy Nhan said the VN-Index would have fallen 2.4 percent in the first half without VIC and VHM. View source→
New food preferences
The Investor is reporting that a Q&Me survey found Vietnamese consumers are more willing to experiment with new foods when eating out than when cooking at home.
Among 1,000 respondents, 19.4 percent tried a new dish over the past year, compared with 7.8 percent who cooked one. View source→
Chinese electronics manufacturing hub
The Economic Times is reporting that Chinese 3D vision sensor maker Orbbec is establishing a manufacturing hub in Vietnam as part of efforts to diversify its global production network.
The company’s factory in Bac Ninh will cover more than 100,000 square metres and is scheduled to begin operations in 2027. View source→
VN rare earths for US
The Investor is reporting that US-based Evolution Metals & Technologies has agreed to buy Vietnam-sourced neodymium-praseodymium metal as it expands rare-earth magnet production outside Chinese supply chains.
Japan’s Senri Trading will supply the material from SRE Vietnam, a subsidiary of Japanese rare-earth trading company Tokai Trading. View source→
US Fed Reserve study China transhipment
A US Federal Reserve study has found Chinese-owned firms drove a disproportionate share of Vietnam’s export boom to the United States following the 2018-19 tariff increases.
Chinese firms’ share of Vietnam’s US exports more than doubled from 11 percent in 2018-19 to 25 percent during 2020-23.
The study found Chinese investment in Vietnam accelerated after US tariffs, while relocated Chinese and other foreign firms continued relying heavily on Chinese inputs.
The report’s authors ultimately found that tariffs shifted production geographically without fully reducing US supply-chain dependence on China. View source→
Stock market Friday
The VN-Index closed at 1,787.45, down 16.79 points or 0.93 percent, with a total trading value of VND 11,645.31 billion or US$441.95 million, and foreign traders net-selling US$25.77 million worth of equities, Friday, according to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange. Read the full article →
Exchange rates Friday
On July 17, in Vietnam, the black market US dollar buy rate was VND 26,370, and the sell rate was VND 26,410, a change of 30 and 10, respectively, for a mid-market rate of VND 26,390 (down 0.08 percent), according to prices quoted by Ty Gia USD. Read the full article →
Friday’s news roundup
In Friday’s Vietnam news: Facebook account theft ring shut down, Minimum wage to rise from Jan 1, Nuclear power project reorganisation proposed, No jail time for cash proposal, Retail fuel price hike, Deposit insurance payout limit increased, US-VN trade negotiations in Washington, Honda electric bike manufacturing VN, Analysis VICEM restructuring, Vietnam Airlines-Cebu Pacific deal, Global Times US-VN trade negotiations opinion, Stock market Thursday, Exchange rates Thursday, and more. Read the full article →