This is a brief rundown of what is being reported today in Vietnam 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 have anything to share, reach out: mark.barnes@the-shiv.com
2G services to end September 15
Tuoi Tre is reporting that most remaining 2G mobile services nationwide will be shut down from September 15. View source→
Rising deposit interest rates
Tuoi Tre is reporting that deposit rates at some banks have continued to rise, reaching up to 9.2 percent annually for six-month deposits.
Specifically, it notes that VPBank offered 8.8 percent on a VND 1 billion (US$37,951) six-month online deposit, while SHB offered 9.2 percent. View source→
This matters because deposit interest rates are interlinked — when deposit rates go up, a corresponding increase can generally be expected in lending interest rates.
Samsung earnings H1
VnExpress is reporting that Samsung’s four major Vietnamese manufacturing operations earned US$2.31 billion in the first half of 2026, up 23.5 percent year-on-year.
Combined revenue rose 21 percent to US$35.2 billion, according to Samsung Electronics’ first-half financial report. View source→
Chinese hot pot chain performance
VnExpress is reporting that Chinese hot pot chain Haidilao generated US$57 million in revenue in Vietnam in the first half of 2026, up 31 percent year-on-year.
Vietnam was among Haidilao’s five largest international markets, recording the fastest revenue growth, the article notes. View source→
Battery storage ambitions
VnExpress is reporting that Northern Vietnam’s power utility plans to install 530 megawatts of battery energy storage (BES) across 83 substations.
It notes that BES systems supplied about 30 megawatts during last month’s heatwaves. View source→
GDP per capita rankings
Dau Tu Kien Thuc is reporting that Vietnam’s GDP per capita reached about US$4,830 in 2025, nearly double India’s US$2,500, according to International Monetary Fund data.
The IMF forecasts Vietnam’s GDP per capita will rise to US$5,115 in 2026, compared with about US$2,800 for India, the article says. View source→
Ultra high-net worth population growth
The Investor is reporting that Vietnam’s ultra-high-net-worth population is forecast to rise 59 percent over the next five years, citing Knight Frank’s 2026 Wealth Report.
The number of people with at least US$30 million in net assets is projected to increase from about 1,233 in 2026 to 1,960 by 2031, it says. View source→
New oil wells
Splash247 is reporting that PV Drilling has won a contract for a three-well drilling campaign offshore Vietnam starting in mid-October.
The wells are in an area currently producing about 3,000 barrels of oil per day where no wells have been drilled for about a decade. View source→
Swedish adviser LNG Thai Binh
Splash247 is reporting that Swedish engineering group AFRY has been appointed technical adviser for the US$2.69 billion Thai Binh liquefied natural gas power project in northern Vietnam.
AFRY will advise on the floating LNG terminal, subsea gas pipeline, offshore mooring infrastructure and associated 1.5-gigawatt power plant, the article says. View source→
Bonds due before year-end
Lao Dong is reporting that Vietnamese companies face a sharp increase in bond repayments through the end of 2026, with real estate developers under the greatest pressure.
About VND 175 trillion (US$6.64 billion) of corporate bond payments are due between August and December, up 20 percent year-on-year, with real estate companies accounting for about VND 79 trillion (US$3.0 billion), up 42 percent. View source→
Yesterday’s news roundup
In today’s news: ForEx regs overseas investments SOEs, VinFast GSM 5m unit agreement, US cotton shipments to VN, Samsung semiconductor build-out VN, Tay Ninh data centre proposal, Manufacturing moving back to China?, MY-VN cooking oil recycling project, Toyota expansion, EU food safety warnings VN produce. View source→