VN Express is carrying this write-up of Vietnam’s semiconductor industry in which it highlights Vietnam’s current role at the lower-value end of the supply chain. It notes that Vietnam’s role in semiconductor production is mostly at the final packaging stage which accounts for just 6 percent of a chip’s value.
Why it matters: Semiconductor manufacturing has become a popular topic in domestic news in Vietnam utilised as a means to claim Vietnam is moving up the manufacturing value chain. The domestic media, however, has largely avoided the reality of the situation, noting that foreign firms are extending their semiconductor supply chains into Vietnam, but neglecting to mention that Vietnam is just part of their supply chains and at the low-value end at that.