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
Tax cuts 2020
Vietnam attempts to realize carbon neutrality commitment
It requires the engagement of different stakeholders to ensure that carbon neutrality is achieved realistically and sustainably. Amid international efforts against climate change, Vietnam’s public and private sectors have made commitments to reduce their impact on the environment in the context that the country is among one of the most affected by global warming But how can carbon neutrality be achieved realistically and sustainably? Bamboo is biomass that captures CO 2 from the atmosphere effectively. Carbon neutrality is a state of net zero carbon emission, by cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance. Replacing polluting coal, gas, and oil-fired power with energy from renewable sources, such as wind or solar, would dramatically reduce carbon emissions. As well as deep and widespread cuts in emissions, for carbon neutrality to be … [Read more...] about Vietnam attempts to realize carbon neutrality commitment
[Quintessence of Hanoi’s cuisine] Quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine: Hanoi spring rolls
Hanoi’s typical dishes with many variants always cause nostalgia for children who live far from their homeland. As famous as pho (rice noodles soup with beef), spring rolls are also a dish imbued with the “Vietnamese national spirit”: if you see spring rolls somewhere, people from the S-shaped country must be around the corner. A familiar food on a Bangui Street The typical Hanoi's dishes are prepared by Helen Green, a housewife who lives in Ho Chi Minh City The fateful meeting happened when the soldiers realized that a dish they ate on the street was so similar to the Vietnamese fried spring rolls. They weren’t wrong: it was real fried spring rolls, made by an old woman who came from Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.Many years back in time, Vietnamese soldiers in the United Nations’ Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic happened to meet an old woman, she was the only one from Vietnam to live in the capital, Bangui. Seventy years before, she … [Read more...] about [Quintessence of Hanoi’s cuisine] Quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine: Hanoi spring rolls
Vietnamese Students in Australia holds second congress
Vietnamese Students in Australia (SVAU) convenes its second congress in Canberra on August 6. (Photo: VNA) Sydney (VNA) – Vietnamese Students in Australia (SVAU) convened its second congress in Canberra on August 6 to review its performance during the 2020-2022 tenure and map out plans for the next term from 2022 – 2024. The hybrid event was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh and some 40 outstanding Vietnamese students across Australia. It also saw the online attendance by representatives from the Central Committees of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and Vietnam Students' Association and leaders of student associations from Vietnam. Addressing the congress, SVAU Vice President Huynh Tan Dat said during the past term, the association has hosted a variety of activities to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among students, including a series of talks with experts in innovation for students and an annual global contest for innovative … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Students in Australia holds second congress
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
Visa launches eco-friendly payment solutions in Asia Pacific
Digital payment service provider Visa announced earlier this week the launch of Visa Eco Benefits in the Asia-Pacific region in order to meet increasing demand for sustainable financial services. Eco Benefits is a suite of sustainability-focused solutions that will help Visa cardholders across the region better understand the environmental impact of their day-to-day payments, the multinational company said in a press release on Wednesday. They can calculate the carbon footprint generated by their Visa transactions, and access options for carbon offsetting or charitable donations from their bank’s website or app. Banks in Asia Pacific that sign up for Eco Benefits will be able to offer these solutions to their Visa cardholders and meet a growing demand for sustainable financial services. Sixty-six percent of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region expect their bank to offer eco-friendly payment solutions, according to a new Visa/YouGov survey. Over half (52 percent) would switch … [Read more...] about Visa launches eco-friendly payment solutions in Asia Pacific
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
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