Coca-Cola Co and the American Beverage Association trade group were sued on Wednesday for allegedly misleading consumers about the health risks from consuming sugary beverages. The nonprofit Praxis Project accused the defendants of downplaying the risks to boost sales, despite scientific evidence linking sugary beverages to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Praxis accused both defendants of using euphemisms such as "balance" and "calories in, calories out" to mislead consumers, and Coca-Cola, the world's largest beverage company, of trying to mislead the public into thinking a lack of exercise was the real cause of obesity. "The notion that Coke's products can be part of a healthy diet is imprinted on the minds of millions if not billions of people, and requires corrective action," Maia Kats, litigation director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which helped file the lawsuit, said in an interview. Coca-Cola spokesman Kent Landers called the lawsuit "legally … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge - Regarding environmental protection, Vietnam ranked 98th out of 137 economies and 123rd for air quality. Vietnam is not an industrialized country yet but its pollution is already serious, senior economist, Dr. Le Dang Doanh, has said.VietNamNet is introducing the first part of a roundtable discussion titled "What is the price of swapping the environment for growth?" with the participation of Dr. Le Dang Doanh, former director of the Central Institute for Economic Management, a member of the Development Policy Committee of the UN and MSc Le Quang Binh (Princeton University), former Director of the Institute for Social-Economic and Environmental Research, now chairman of the working group "For the involvement of the people".What do you think about the hot topic these days, which has not had any satisfactory answers from the authorities – the massive death of fish in the central region? Dr. Le Dang Doanh: Firstly, the environmental incident in the central … [Read more...]

Taiwan investors plan to move to Vietnam By Tran Thu - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – A number of Taiwanese enterprises plan to shift their investment to Vietnam, especially the north, said a Taiwanese delegation at the 18th Vietnam-Taiwan trade development conference organized in HCMC on Tuesday. Speaking at the conference, Jerry Yang, general director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in HCMC said Vietnam is the first choice of Taiwanese investors since the compensation costs in the Chinese market have increased. Shi Huang, a member of the Chinese International Economic Cooperation Association Trade (CIECA) and chairman of Chinfon Corporation, took a group of 30 representatives of Taiwanese firms to Vietnam in a bid to seek business opportunities in this new environment. Previously, a delegation of businesses from Taiwan joined in a conference on investment promotion held in Hanoi. They surveyed the investment environment in northern provinces. After this visit, some … [Read more...]

Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange to take place in Mekong Delta Trung Chanh By Trung Chanh - The Saigon Times Daily CAN THO - Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange will be held for the first time in the Mekong Delta from November 19 to 21, the Can Tho chapter of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) as the organizer said on Tuesday. It is significant in that the Vietnamese Government has mapped out six cooperation programs with Japan in agricultural processing and fisheries, which are the strength of the Mekong Delta, according to Nguyen Phuong Lam, deputy director of VCCI in Can Tho. A highlight of the event is the 3rd investment conference in the Mekong Delta with the theme “Mekong Delta economy after 2015 – Prospects of business and investment in food processing.” According to Lam, the event aims to introduce policies of the Government and local authorities as well as the projects calling for investment to potential investors. Lam noted that Japan and … [Read more...]

The Hanoitimes - Hanoi Gift Show is an annual event, a four-day Hanoi Gift Show 2016 will be held from October 16 to 19 at the National Planning Exhibition Centre in the Capital. A foreign visitor at a booth of the Hanoi Gift Show 2015 The event, organised by the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, also sees 230 domestic businesses nationwide showcasing their typical products in nearly 600 booths. The upcoming event will include exhibitors from Vietnam and other countries in the region. This event will showcase products like home decor and handicraft products, indoor and outdoor furniture, home textiles and embroidery, gifts and ethnic items, personal accessories, toys and more. The event's organisers described the event as a good opportunity for handicraft producers and traders from across the country to advertise and promote their products, seek new customers, expand their export markets, and take advantage of the free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed. A total … [Read more...]

The participating businesses bring to the event around 200 booths showcasing their latest products in housing, construction, decoration, finance and banking. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Construction Do Duc Duy said that the after being frozen for a long time, Vietnam’s real estate market began recovering from the end of 2013 and has seen positive signs over the first half of this year with the liquidity of the market being improved. At the same time, real estate credit has recorded a higher growth rate than the county’s overall economic growth, helping the sector attract more foreign direct investment. The Viethome Expo is a great opportunity for investors to advertise their products to customers while sharing experiences and exploring co-operation with promising partners. The expo also provides a broader range of options for customers who are searching for high-quality products fitting their needs. The five-day event also includes seminars and … [Read more...]

HA NOI (VNS) — Viet Nam's agricultural exports to the United States (US) are expected to surge with stable demand from a key market, an official of the government said yesterday. Le Van Banh, head of the Department of Processing and Trading Agricultural, Forestry, Aquatic Products and Salt under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told the seminar that this year was forecast to be a promising year for the export of agro-forestry-aquaculture products due to increasing demands in the global market, and because Vietnamese businesses would have the opportunity to enjoy tax incentives from free trade agreements signed between the country and its partners. The seminar co-organised by MARD and the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) held in Ha Noi yesterday discussed ways to further promote the export of farm produce to foreign markets. Associations, trade counsellors and businesses attended the seminar. The US market is said to be the most promising and stable … [Read more...]

The Can Tho chapter of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry has recently announced programs of the first Vietnam-Japan Cultural and Commercial Exchange to be held in the Mekong Delta from November 19 to 21 in Can Tho City. … [Read more...]

HA NOI (VNS) — Viet Nam should build a specific roadmap on food branding as food has been the sector with huge potential, Do Thang Hai, deputy minister of Industry and Trade said. "The food sector has been given priority to improve its added value and promote exports in the upcoming time," Hai told a seminar on "Viet Nam's National Strategy on Food Branding" in Ha Noi yesterday. He said the programme to build a national brand for the food sector was started in 2014 with an aim to help associations, trade promotion agencies and businesses build a common image for the sector in the global market. In addition, the programme would better position Viet Nam's food sector, as well as build prestige on quality and value for sustainable development. However, the deputy minister said the branding and marketing for the sector had certain shortcomings. With low added value, the sector's exports had not seen high profits, and food products had not gained a firm foothold in both domestic … [Read more...]

The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) will host a training workshop on "Roles of brand management in the business" for trade promotion agencies, business associations and enterprises on November 11, 2015. The event aims to strengthen business support, enhance corporate competitiveness on domestic and international markets, and advance business innovation in business. The programme will discuss some main contents such as sharing necessary experience and knowledge for businesses, associations, trade promotion agencies in building, developing and protecting brand, lectured by marketing professionals and famous firms; direct dialogue and consultation with businesses (panellists include representatives of the Secretariat of the National Brand Value Programme, consultants and business representatives. Companies interested in the programme please contact: Secretariat of the National Brand Programme- Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) 20 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem Dist, Hanoi … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s GDP in 1990 is equal to that of Thailand in the 1960s. By 2069, Vietnam is expected to catch up with its neighbor’s labor productivity. The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has submitted to the Government a report on the situation and solutions to improve labor productivity. The labor productivity of the whole economy in 2014 reached VND74.7 million/employee, up 4.9% compared with 2013. On average, it increased by 3.7% per year in the period from 2005 to 2014. Although labor productivity of Vietnam in recent years has improved significantly, if it is assumed that the growth of labor productivity of Vietnam and some neighboring countries will continue at the same average rate of the 2007-2012 period until 2038, Vietnam can catch up with the labor productivity of the Philippines, and up to 2069 with the labor productivity of Thailand. 81.8% of workers are untrained Explaining how to calculate labor productivity, Dr. Ho Dinh … [Read more...]

UNFF11 met Friday, 8 May, to continue its deliberations in two working groups. Both WG1, on the draft ministerial declaration "Future international arrangement on forests we want," and WG2, on the draft resolution "International arrangement on forests beyond 2015," met throughout the day. Due to insufficient progress made in working group discussions, the stocktaking plenary was cancelled to allow the working groups more time. WG2 discussions continued into the night. WORKING GROUPS WG1: Delegates’ views on the title of the declaration were split on whether the proposed alternative title "a transformational IAF" is appropriate or accurate. There was general support for a preamble that stresses the importance of forests, with suggestions to add reference to, inter alia, forests’ contribution to: the 1.6 billion people directly dependent on them; cultural and spiritual values; sustainable soil management; the ‘planet,’ as recognized as Mother Earth; and … [Read more...]

Steel plates are manufactured at SMC Tan Tao factory in HCM City. The steel sector will register growth of 11.8 per cent this year after growing 12 per cent in 2014.— VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hai … [Read more...]

The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership is a free trade agreement aiming at integration of economies in Asia-Pacific. By now, there have been 19 rounds of official negotiations and an unofficial round of negotiations with the participation of 12 countries of different economic development levels. That is why, identifying comprehensively opportunities and challenges brought about by the agreement to maximize benefits, prevent and reduce disadvantages is extremely important for each negotiating country in general and Viet Nam in particular. The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership agreement: Formation and controversial issues The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP) agreement was initially reached in June 2005 among four countries of Brunei, Singapore, Chile and New Zealand. As at the beginning there were only four participating countries, it was called Pacific 4 (P4). One of the objectives of the agreement was to create a model agreement that could … [Read more...]

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(CPV) - After working together to achieve business law reform, ADB and Vanuatu's financial services regulator have agreed to build online business registries that will lower costs, boost transparency, and make joining the formal sector much easier for local businesses and entrepreneurs. "Once implemented, this will see Vanuatu with the most comprehensive suite of electronic registries in the Pacific," said Andrea Iffland, Regional Director of ADB's Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office in Sydney. "This agreement recognizes our shared commitment to encourage greater access to the formal sector by small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially in rural areas." A memorandum of understanding signed yesterday in Port Vila with the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC) will facilitate ADB's support in the procurement, project management and implementation of the new registries. Accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from wherever there is internet access, the new online … [Read more...]

prevents the passenger in front of you from reclining their seat. A trio of recent air-rage cases linked to reclining seats shows frustrations are simmering on U.S. jetliners as passengers find themselves surrounded by more and more people. Fuller planes are driving "an uptick in disruptions in the cabin," Corey Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants union, said today. She spoke after a Delta Air Lines Inc. jet touched down yesterday in Jacksonville, Florida, to let the instigator of a squabble off the plane. The Delta incident marked the third time in a span nine days that an on-board outburst over personal space forced an unscheduled landing in the U.S. As flight-crew members see it, the mix of peak vacation-season travel and fewer empty seats can sometimes produce a combustible outcome. "Every summer, with the load factor, you're obviously going to see some tension out there," said Tom Hoban, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association at American … [Read more...]

Vietnam has a window of opportunity to address gender equality at work and support sound industrial relations, but more efforts are needed, as highlighted by a workshop on the implementation of the revised Labour Code and the new Trade Union Law, jointly organized on September 24 by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). … [Read more...]

(VEN) - The quality and prices of Vietnamese goods are suitable with consumer demands in the South American market. Therefore, in the first Francal fair, a booth introducing Vietnamese footwear, garments and textiles attracted the interests of customers. Bilateral economic cooperation between Brazil-Vietnam has recorded strong growth in recent years. In the first six months of this year, total two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached over US$1 billion. Together with efforts in trade promotion activities, this figure is expected to reach US$2 billion in this year. Vietnam's export turnover to Brazil is expected to reach about US$1 billion. According to Vietnamese Commercial Counselor in Brazil Pham Ba Uong, in a past decade, relations between the two countries had become better. Despite a number of factors, such as geographic distance, the lack of bilateral trade agreements and policies to protect the market, Brazil remains an attractive market for Vietnamese goods, … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge - The personal information of hundreds of thousands of businesses and businessmen has been offered for sale on Internet for just VND700,000. The sellers have affirmed that the information is the "high quality products," saying that the personal data is from "reliable sources." Especially, the goods can be delivered directly to buyers, or through emails, up to the buyers' willingness. The goods put on sale are the list of directors of the businesses operating in many business fields in the big cities and provinces of Hanoi, HCM City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai. Customers can also buy the list of chief accountants and VIPs in businesses, the list of the VIPs who are the big clients of the companies, gold trading floors, hotels, real estate projects' managers, or the key personnel of enterprises. According to a seller named Duong, VND700,000 is a reasonable price for the informative personal data with the details classified in categories in a scientific way. "There are … [Read more...]