Offshore wind market

Vietnam’s long-awaited Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), confirmed in mid-May, is a milestone in the country’s journey towards energy transition. The main objective of the legislation is to achieve energy security for Vietnam, progressing on its climate change commitments towards the middle of this century, and more specifically to export 5,000-10,000MW of power by 2030. Towards these goals, the PDP8 proposes a new energy mix with a substantial reliance on renewables and the development of smart transmission grids to support the renewables industry, including connecting the power grids with neighbouring countries. “We appreciate the government for the approval of the PDP8, as it provides a clear path to the completion of the grid interconnection, which is critical for us and Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) to complete agreement on the tariff and schedule of the power purchase agreement (PPA). We target completion of the PPA in Q4 of 2023 in order to break ground in 2024,” said Ian … [Read more...] about Power overhaul plan picks up steam

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Industry and Trade held a meeting with Vietnam Trade Offices abroad on May 31 to discuss ways to boost the exports of lychees and longans as many northern localities are harvesting the fruits. total lychee production is estimated at a record of over 180,000 tonnes this year. The harvesting period is scheduled from May 25 to July 30. Vietnam Trade Offices abroad were assigned to closely follow the market situation, trade policies and export requirements for key commodities, thus providing timely advices for the ministry’s leaders to support localities, associations, and businesses. VNA … [Read more...] about Vietnam seeks to expand overseas markets for lychees, longans

A customer making a transaction at an office of TPBank. — Photo courtesy of TPBank Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) has announced the results of early bond redemption transactions of Tien Phong Commercial JSC (HoSE: TPB). From May 15 to 25, TPBank bought VND4 trillion (US$170 million) of outstanding bonds. While the bond TPBL2124003 was issued in 2021 and is expected to expire in 2024, the rest, which are TPBL2225001, TPBL2225002, TPBL2225003, TPBL2225004, and TPBL2225005, were issued in May 2022, and are due in May 2025. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) approved TPBank to expand its charter capital up to nearly VND6.2 trillion through the issuance of common shares to enhance share capital in the equity, following the authorised plan in the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders 2023. Previously, TPBank's 2023 General Meeting of Shareholders approved the plan to increase charter capital by issuing nearly VND620 million shares to pay dividends to shareholders, equivalent to a rate … [Read more...] about TPBank pays $170 million to repurchase premature bonds

Hotel supply in Vietnam has tripled over the past decade, photo Le Toan According to a report by DKRA Vietnam, the supply of villas and town houses across the country continued to decrease from the end of the second quarter of 2022. Specifically, in April only two projects were opened for sale, providing 12 apartments to the market, down 69 per cent from the previous month and down 98 per cent compared to the same period last year. Particularly, the Central region recorded the fourth consecutive month that no new projects were introduced to the market. “It is expected that in the next few months, supply and demand may increase slightly. However, the market will not have obvious fluctuations with key transactions, except from expected transactions on Phu Quoc island,” according to DKRA’s report. The primary selling price did not alter greatly compared to the previous month. Instead, investors have aggressively launched discounts up to 30-40 per cent to stimulate market … [Read more...] about Second home real estate on the slow path to recovery

Fruit and vegetable processors are urged to adopt advanced technologies to improve export value. Vietnam's fruit and vegetable export turnover has risen 29% year-on-year to US$1.9 billion in the first five months of this year, enabling the sector to reach US$4 billion in exports in 2023, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Fruit and vegetable exports grossed US$982 million in the first quarter of this year, up 16.2% compared to the same period in 2022, with sales to the Chinese market showing impressive growth. China imported $805 million worth of Vietnamese products, accounting for 80% of the market share. MARD stressed that in foreign markets, including China, Vietnamese fruits face stiff competition from rivals from Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines. "Export prospects in the second half of the year will be better as many countries favor Vietnamese agricultural products," it added. Vietnamese durian for exporting. … [Read more...] about Vegetable and fruit exports expected to hit $4 billion this year

They will present more than 80 projects for international content buyers, movies, series, and animations at the Russian Content Worldwide booth, organized by Roskino, a national operator for the promotion of films. Among those is “The Challenge” - the first feature film shot in space. Ekaterina Naumova, Roskino Acting General Director said that last year, the Russian film industry had a comprehensive presence at Telefilm Vietnam for the first time in an online format. Customers showed great interest in Russian animation projects, documentaries, action films and comedies, and bought format rights of Russian serials, he noted. This year, in order to more effectively capitalize on film market opportunities and build partnerships with local TV channels, VOD platforms and distributors, Roskino will organize a large-scale offline presence of Russian content producers. This format will allow them to meet potential partners and increase interaction with foreign peers, she said, adding that … [Read more...] about Russian film companies to join Telefilm Vietnam 2023

Ambassadors from ASEAN member states take a tour around the ASEAN Trade Fair as part of Seoul Food 2023, one of the largest food exhibitions in Asia, at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on May 30.(Photo courtesy of ASEAN-Korea Centre) Seoul – The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) on May 30 opened an ASEAN Trade Fair in the framework of the Seoul Food 2023 (SF2003) to showcase food and beverage products from ASEAN countries and create opportunities for ASEAN companies to connect and establish business partnerships with partners from the Republic of Korea (RoK). In his remarks at the opening ceremony, AKC Secretary General Kim Hae-yong said that since 2009, the centre has organised many trade fairs and seminars to assist ASEAN's small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in finding their way into the Korean market, contributing to promoting vibrant trade activities between the two regions. A seminar on capacity building and enhancing value of ASEAN-Korea food was also held within the … [Read more...] about ASEAN, RoK boost business ties in food, beverage

Apple on May 17 announced the expansion of the Apple Store online into Vietnam. Customers throughout the country can now shop direct with Apple and receive a service delivered by dedicated team members ready to share their expertise in Vietnamese. Meanwhile, in mid-May, eDiGi, Vietnam’s foremost premium Apple retailer, announced the closure of its store after five years. The store entered the market when official Apple products were struggling to compete against smuggled counterparts. Backed by one of Vietnam’s top retail companies, IPP Group, eDiGi aimed to carve a niche for itself in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The accolades poured in as eDiGi secured the coveted Apple Premium Reseller and Apple Service Provider certifications, becoming the country’s pioneering haven for Apple aficionados seeking unrivalled services. However, eDiGi found itself grappling with a market where affordable prices outweighed immersive shopping experiences, and it struggled to … [Read more...] about Apple retailers set for price competition shake-up

The government last week reported that under its latest calculations, the state budget revenue last year hit about VND1.815 quadrillion ($78.93 billion), which is VND201.4 trillion ($8.75 billion) or 12.5 per cent higher than a previously reported figure. “The revenue has sufficiently met all tasks on expenditures for development investment, social security, salary reform, and other necessary tasks,” the government stated. Budget estimate shortcomings require modern fix Such a revenue increase was thanks to a rise in many items, with enterprises performing relatively well despite massive difficulties. For example, the economy’s most updated export turnover last year reached $371.3 billion, higher than the $368 billion earlier reported to the National Assembly – with the exact trade surplus of more than $12.4 billion, far higher than the only $1 billion earlier reported to the legislative body. However, the National Assembly Economic Committee (NAEC) found that the … [Read more...] about Budget estimate shortcomings require modern fix

Vietnam’s services sector remains a bright spot, partially offsetting some external weakness, according to a report released by HSBC Vietnam on May 31. Illustrative image (Source: VNA) The report, themed “Vietnam May data: Still a long way to go,” said while Vietnam’s May trade data points to no further deterioration, there is still a long way to see a meaningful rebound in its trade cycle. Exports slightly fall According to the report, exports fell 5.8% year on year in May, a slower pace than the market expected, but with lingering broad-based weakness. None of the major categories, including electronics, machinery, textiles/footwear and wooden furniture showed signs of a meaningful rebound. Data as of April 2023 suggests substantial falling shipments in Vietnam’s three largest exporting destinations - US, China and the EU. In particular, with a hefty share of 30%, Vietnam is particularly sensitive to a US economic slowdown. Despite exports falling by … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s services sector remains a bright spot: HSBC