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
HCMC data centre land lease
VnExpress is reporting that Ho Chi Minh City has leased nearly 4.5 hectares in its High-Tech Park to Starmason for a US$480 million hyperscale data centre.
Starmason is a joint venture between Singapore’s Sembcorp Development and Vietnam’s BB Holdings. View source→
Russia-Vietnam strategic oil reserves chats
Reuters is reporting that Russia’s Zarubezhneft and Petrovietnam have signed a framework agreement to cooperate on establishing a strategic oil reserve in Vietnam.
The agreement was signed during Vietnamese leader To Lam’s state visit to Russia, but no timeline, reserve size or financial terms were disclosed. View source→
*This feels more for show than actually likely to materialise, with sanctions on Russia likely to stand in the way. It does, however, speak to an awareness that a strategic oil reserve might be a good idea in light of recent events, so that might be something.
AI slop factory Hanoi
CBC is reporting that a CBC/Radio-Canada investigation has linked a Hanoi company to a network producing AI-generated fake news targeting audiences in Canada and other Western countries.
Investigators identified nearly 200 Facebook pages with more than 55 million followers directing users to about 50 websites connected to HTV Network.
The network allegedly used misleading political and religious content to attract clicks, generating revenue through advertising.
HTV Chief Executive Ngo Anh Tan denied knowledge of the sites and pages, despite investigators linking his information to corporate and domain records, and the company’s website being taken down shortly after CBC made its inquiries. View source→
Government bond auction results
Vietnam’s State Treasury raised VND 15 trillion (US$569 million) through government bond auctions on September 9, against VND 17 trillion offered, according to the latest release from the Vietnam Bond Market Association.
Five-year and 10-year bonds were fully subscribed, raising VND 7 trillion and VND 8 trillion, respectively.
The five-year bonds yielded 4.26 percent, while the 10-year yield rose one basis point from the previous auction to 4.43 percent.
Year-to-date government bond issuance reached VND 246.46 trillion (US$9.35 billion), equivalent to 49.3 percent of the Treasury’s 2026 target. View source→
F&B industry revenue H1
The Investor is reporting that Vietnam’s food and beverage industry generated VND 432.7 trillion (US$16.4 billion) in revenue during the first half of 2026, up 6.6 percent year-on-year.
The number of food and beverage outlets remained broadly stable at 329,200, falling just 0.1 percent from the end of 2025. View source→
Pharma deal goes south
The Investor is reporting that Japan’s Nissha will exit Vietnamese medical device maker USM Healthcare after discovering accounting irregularities involving transactions conducted before its acquisition.
The Japanese company said USM officers and employees initiated the accounting misconduct before the takeover and that Nissha was not involved. View source→
North-South HSR delayed
Bloomberg is reporting that Vietnam has delayed construction of its US$67 billion North-South high-speed railway until the end of 2027, one year later than previously planned. View source→
HCMC metro profit targets
VnExpress is reporting that Ho Chi Minh City has set a target for the operator of its first metro line to earn VND 133 billion (US$5 million) in pre-tax profit between 2026 and 2030.
Urban Railway Company No. 1 must increase annual profit from nearly VND 22 billion this year to VND 32 billion by 2030, the article says. View source→
Grab industrial action?
Tuoi Tre is reporting that Grab drivers in Vietnam are calling for a two-day shutdown of the app on September 12-13 in protest over fares, fees and declining take-home income.
Grab said it is aware of the campaign but has not announced any policy changes, while the extent of driver participation remains unclear. View source→
*This article argues that this doesn’t constitute strike action because no official representative organisation has been identified. Maybe they mean legally, because this very much looks and sounds like a group of workers going on strike.
Stock market Wednesday
The VN-Index closed at 1,827.12, down 3.32 points or 0.18 percent, with a total trading value of VND 14,557.30 billion or US$552.46 million, and foreign traders net-selling US$10.21 million worth of equities, Wednesday, according to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange.
Exchange rates
As of 8.15am this morning, the black market US dollar buy rate was VND 25,730, and the sell rate was VND 25,760, a change of 0 and 0, respectively, for a mid-market rate of VND 25,745 (down 0.00 percent), according to prices quoted by Ty Gia USD. Meanwhile, the State Bank of Vietnam’s central exchange rate was set at VND 25,591, while the Google Finance mid-market rate stood at VND 25,907.
Yesterday’s news
In yesterday’s news: Traveler data compromised, KOL summit party commitments, Vingroup ownership VinFast Australian arm, Vingroup loans guaranteed by VN banks, Keppel VN land holdings, WHA share purchase dispute update, Tungsten export ban floated, VinMetal scrap steel imports, MUFG currency forecast, VPN registrations jump, Exchange rates, Stock market Tuesday, Yesterday’s news, and more. View source→