The EU is Vietnam’s second-largest trading partner and an export market that witnessed the euro fall below $1 for the first time in nearly 20 years on July 29. Euro-dollar parity threatens the nation’s exports, source: freepik.com Pham Van Viet, chairman of Viet Thang Jeans, the top 5 leading fashion companies in Indochina, said that the immediate impact on textile and garment export enterprises is a decrease in value. All customers in Europe pay in euros and Vietnamese businesses that receive money back home must exchange it for USD. Now that the euro has fallen to the level of the US dollar, the export value of each shipment will decrease accordingly. “Profits of businesses are low because input costs such as gasoline, input material prices, and labour costs have all increased, now the plunge in euro prices will drag profits down even more,” he told VIR. Viet added that the depreciation of the euro shows that the European market is currently unstable, and … [Read more...] about Euro-dollar parity threatens the nation’s exports
Japanese export
Coffee exports to US rise in value
General Department of Vietnam Customs data show that in May 2022, Vietnam exported 9,340 tonnes of coffee worth US$22 million to the US, down 16.5 percent in volume but up 2.3 percent in value compared with May 2021. In the first five months, the export volume reached 50,580 tonnes, with the value reaching US$124.95 million, down 2.9 percent in volume but up 23.6 percent in value year-on-year. Harvesting coffee The average price of Vietnamese coffee exports to the US in May 2022 was US$2,359 per tonne, down 5.9 percent compared with April but up 22.4 percent compared with May 2021. In the first five months, the average price was US$2,470 per tonne, up 27.2 percent year-on-year. According to the Center for WTO and International Trade, in the first four months of 2022, the US imported 768,800 tonnes of coffee worth US$4.11 billion, up 10.8 percent in volume of 49.6 percent in value compared with the same period last year. The average import price was US$5,353 per … [Read more...] about Coffee exports to US rise in value
US ratchets up origin-tracing on cotton materials
Kenneth Chan, senior director of Market Development at Renze Textile JSC, under Texhong Group, has unveiled a new process to monitor origin-tracing. A tracing system is slated to be put into operation in August for the subsidiaries of Texhong Group, after Chan informed the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association and the American Cotton Association (CCI) at a meeting earlier in June. This US has made major decisions on cotton origin-tracing that affects Vietnam and beyond, Duc Thanh Renze, one of eight Texhong member companies, is using American cotton for its products to ensure product quality and comply with strict requirements for export to the United States and EU. From March, customers were able to access the Texhong cotton tracing system to trace the details of their orders. Chan noted that Renze is focusing on sustainability and transparency. He also informed the company’s partners about key development trends as well as viable solutions for Vietnamese suppliers to … [Read more...] about US ratchets up origin-tracing on cotton materials
Demand for cotton forces adjustments
Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment Trading JSC exported over one-third of its products to the United States in 2021. However, the company started to face challenges following the US’ blanket ban on all Xinjiang cotton. Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Vietnam’s cotton imports reach up to one million tonnes each year, Photo: Shutterstock Tran Nhu Tung, chairman of the company, said that the company has adopted regulations this year related to this act. Accordingly, buyers have to be responsible for export orders to the US which source Chinese cotton materials. Thanh Cong secures many large orders from the US. In 2022, the company sets a target to generate $179 million in revenues and $10.87 million in profit, up 120 per cent and 188 per cent respectively against last year. Tung noted that yarn exports are the main driving force for Thanh Cong. “There is a rapidly growing demand for yarn imports in the global … [Read more...] about Demand for cotton forces adjustments
Rough waters remain in fuel price pressure
The Government Office last week issued Dispatch No.4648/VPCP-KTTH to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) requiring it to continue proposing a reduction of taxes and fees related to fuel and consumption, especially those that can cause an increase in input costs for production and business. Rough waters remain in fuel price pressure “This aims to help reduce costs and selling prices of products in service of exports, production, and business, contributing to controlling inflation and supporting the government’s monetary policy in the short and medium term,” the dispatch stated. The MoF has also proposed to the government a plan to halve the preferential import tax for petrol and oil from the existing 20 to 10 per cent, in order to help reduce the prices of these items in the local market. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese government has also submitted to the National Assembly a plan on reducing the special consumption tax and VAT for October. According to the General Statistics … [Read more...] about Rough waters remain in fuel price pressure
Exhibitions seek to boost competitive edge of supporting industries
JETRO, ITPC, CSID and RX Tradex Company sign an agreement in HCM City on August 5 to jointly organise two exhibitions on supporting industries in HCM City in October. — VNS Photo RX Tradex Vietnam has partnered with the Japan External Trade Organisation, the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City and the HCM City Centre for Supporting Industries Development to organise METALEX Vietnam and Supporting Industry Show simultaneously in early October. Nobuyuki Matsumoto, chief representative of JETRO's HCM City office, said a 2021 survey by his agency found that the local sourcing ratio for Japanese companies in Viet Nam is 37.4 per cent, a slight increase from the previous year, but much lower than in China (69.5 per cent) or Thailand (58.4 per cent). He said over 86 per cent of Japanese firms wanted to increase the local sourcing of materials, components, and spare parts. Based on the needs of Japanese companies, JETRO decided to organise the ‘Supporting Industry Show’ … [Read more...] about Exhibitions seek to boost competitive edge of supporting industries
Webinar connects Vietnamese, Côte d’Ivoire businesses
Delegates attend the webinar (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnamese Embassy in Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire has recently collaborated with the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency and the Côte d'Ivoire Chamber of Commerce and Industry to organise a webinar connecting businesses of the two countries, and introducing the Vietnamese market. Speaking at the event, Dang Thi Thu Ha , Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire, said that Côte d'Ivoire is one of the leading economies in West Africa and has great potential in economic and trade cooperation with Vietnam. With a population of nearly 26.5 million people, this is a country with strong commodity consumption, but its requirements for product standards are not too strict. Côte d'Ivoire is also rich in natural resources, with an abundant source of raw materials for many manufacturing industries that Vietnam can access and exploit, including some products that Vietnam has been … [Read more...] about Webinar connects Vietnamese, Côte d’Ivoire businesses
Facilitating recovery of Vietnam’s yarn sector in midst of US policy enforcement
What are the concerns surrounding the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) implementation among Vietnamese garment exporters to the US? Association chairman Vu Duc Giang Some of the concerns are real. Since the UFLPA became effective in June, Vietnam has witnessed certain impacts on its garment exports to the US. Vietnam has maintained its position as the world’s third-largest cotton importer with a volume of 1.5 million tonnes per year. This includes 800,000 tonnes of cotton imported from the US, accounting for 60 per cent of the total imports. In January 2021, US Customs and Border Protection announced a ban on raw fibres, apparel, and textiles made from Xinjiang-grown cotton, which also covers cotton products made in third countries. Customs will detain imported merchandise unless the importer can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the goods were not from Xinjiang. What is the status of the recommendations from the US on Chinese cotton? Vietnam … [Read more...] about Facilitating recovery of Vietnam’s yarn sector in midst of US policy enforcement
EVFTA underpinning growth in Vietnamese tech market
As Vietnam steps into the post-pandemic era, experiences and learnings from the pandemic serve as a reminder of the importance of digital transformation and its crucial technology component. Eunjung Han, consultant at Rouse Legal Vietnam and vice chair of the Digital Sector Committee of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam Despite COVID-19’s negative economic and social impact, Vietnam remains an attractive destination to European investors. According to the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) 2021 White Book, Vietnam’s stable macro-economic climate, with inflation in the single digits, continues to increase investor confidence in the country’s trade and investment environment. Only adding to that, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is paving the way for continued foreign direct investment (FDI) from the EU and is viewed as a means for shared recovery and economic rebound. As the first comprehensive FTA between the EU and a developing country in … [Read more...] about EVFTA underpinning growth in Vietnamese tech market
Stock market to benefit from unexpectedly strong domestic growth: VinaCapital
Viet Nam has the cheapest valuations and second highest EPS growth in Southeast Asia, as this table shows. — Source VinaCapital “Viet Nam’s economy is even stronger than we had expected at the beginning of the year, but that strength is not reflected by higher stock prices due to the [US’s] aggressive rate hikes and the recent regulatory crackdown in Viet Nam,” Michael Kokalari, chief economist at VinaCapital, has said in a report. “That said, we expect over 20 per cent [company earnings] growth in 2022, which should support a recovery in the VN-Index by the end of 2022.” July economic statistics have not only reinforced VinaCapital’s forecast of 7.5 per cent GDP growth in 2022 but also make it look like the economy would grow by a stunning 10 per cent year-on-year in the current quarter, he said. “Our expectation that Viet Nam’s economy will grow by at least 7.5 per cent this year (and by at least 10 per cent in Q3) leads us to believe that the consensus forecast for 16 per … [Read more...] about Stock market to benefit from unexpectedly strong domestic growth: VinaCapital