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During the 2016-2020 period, the two-way trade saw stable expansion and reached the target of over 1 billion USD, but then suffered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters. The Asia-Pacific Market Department at the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said that the bilateral trade exceeded 1 billion USD in 2020, down 11.5 percent year-on-year, of which Vietnam’s exports were worth 571.7 million USD, down 18.5 percent. However, the bilateral trade bounced back since early 2021, surging 33.3 percent to 1.37 billion USD for the year, with Vietnam’s export revenue reaching 594.7 million USD, a rise of 4 percent from 2020, and its import hitting 778.2 million USD, up 69.8 percent. The results are attributable to the political resolve by Vietnamese and Lao leaders and the drastic management of competent agencies to remove obstacles facing businesses of the two countries and create optimal conditions for them to quickly adapt to the new situation. In … [Read more...] about Vietnam – Laos trade ties growing sustainably

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the opening ceremony of FPT Software's new office in New York City Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed the importance of the event in the context of Vietnam’s rapid recovery after the pandemic, showing the country’s sustainable socioeconomic development with a focus on technology and innovation. The PM believed that FPT would develop faster and stronger, contributing to the development of science and technology among Vietnam’s businesses. Dang Tran Phuong, CEO of FPT Americas said, “This is a milestone asserting our rapid and strong growth in the world's largest economy. In the next three years, we expect the new office to contribute 20 per cent of FPT Software's total revenue in the US, with the number of employees working directly with US reaching 5,000 people." This is FPT Software's 10 th office in the US and the company's 58 th worldwide. The new office is located at 295 Madison Avenue in New York … [Read more...] about FPT Software opens 10th office in the US

Techcombank is on track to be among the top ASEAN banks Techcombank’s rise within the Vietnamese banking industry was highlighted last year when it became the first non-state-owned bank to join Vietnam’s billion-dollar profit club. “Even in the very tough environment we are seeing, our employees have maintained a high quality and reliable service for our customers and this is helping us to deliver stellar performance year after year,” said Jens Lottner, CEO of Techcombank. Last year, the bank continued to reduce costs while focusing on building deposits in its current accounts and savings accounts (CASA), which Lottner described as a “stable and cheap” source of funding. Techcombank’s CASA ratio, which reflects the percentage of the bank’s total deposits that are CASA, jumped from 46.1 per cent in 2020 to 50.5 per cent last year, well on its way to the bank’s target of 55 per cent by 2025. Techcombank’s net interest margin, a measure of the difference between the interest … [Read more...] about Techcombank on track for a seat among the top ASEAN banks

The following is the full text of the speech. “SINCERITY, TRUST AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR A BETTER WORLD” Dear Dr. John Hamre, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Ladies and gentlemen, I am very happy to visit the Center for Strategic and International Studies for the first time today, though this is far from the first time I hear of the CSIS, a top American think tank in the field of foreign strategies and policies and international issues. Seventy-seven years ago, President Ho Chi Minh, the national hero of Vietnam and great man of culture, prefaced the Declaration of Independence establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with this untarnishable fact, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.” This was the spirit enshrined within the 1776 Declaration of Independence of the United States of America; it … [Read more...] about Remarks by PM Pham Minh Chinh at CSIS in Washington D.C.

Vietnam continues to benefit from its broad re-opening strategy, which saw a huge crowd flocking to tourist hotspots in the country and household spending rebound. Vietnam’s economic recovery is gaining momentum despite heightened global uncertainty related to the protracted war in Ukraine, higher commodity prices, and tightening global financial conditions, according to the World Bank. Cargo handling at Dinh Vu port, Haiphong. Photo: Cong Hung In its latest report, the World Bank pointed out the robust growth of industrial production by 9.4% in April, comparable to pre-pandemic rates. Manufactures of apparel, footwear, electronics, electrical equipment, and metal products were the most dynamic sub-sectors, registering double-digit growth rates, it added. However, machinery manufacturing slowed from 26.6% year-on-year in March to only 5.1% in April. This deceleration was related to supply chain disruptions caused by lockdowns in China, which led to a … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s economic recovery gaining momentum

"We are constantly looking for other areas to cooperate with the government. We bring to the table expertise in healthcare management, in regulatory affairs, even in logistics." - Lennor Carrillo, general director at Roche Pharma Vietnam During Roche’s 28 years in Vietnam, the company has moved beyond its traditional role as a pharma company and partnered with the government, hospitals, and doctors to improve the entire healthcare ecosystem. Could you share some highlights and difficulties of the journey? Roche celebrated its 125th birthday globally, and in that time span, we’ve tried to go beyond the drug-patient kind of approach and make a bigger impact. In Vietnam, aside from the government, additional partners that we have worked with include the Vietnam Medical Association, the Bright Future Fund, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, and other medical institutes and hospitals. A good example of the partnership we … [Read more...] about Roche Pharma Vietnam co-creating partnerships in sustainable health