A forum to promote investment in industries in Vietnam was held online on April 15 within the framework of the Vietnam International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo 2021) in Singapore.
Almost 5 billion USD worth of Vietnamese goods exported to the EU has benefited from preferential tariffs under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
Several of Vietnam’s key export sectors, such as textile-garment, leather-footwear, and electronics have become magnets for merger and acquisition (M&As) activities, posing a risk of leading enterprises in those sectors being purchased by foreign investors.
Despite being known for its low labour costs, higher logistics costs have continually reduced the competitiveness of Vietnam’s exports compared to elsewhere in the region.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered the health, tourism and diplomacy sectors to soon study and issue a "vaccine passport" mechanism in order to promote trade and investment while addressing the Government’s regular meeting on March 31.
Vietnam has been making good use of advantages of the international economic integration process, helping to increase the country’s exports by 22 percent year-on-year and imports by 26 percent in the first quarter of 2021, said Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Vietnam is one of the pioneering countries in building a national digital transformation programme, with the three main pillars of digital government, digital economy, and digital society.
Though COVID-19 has sent the global economy into one of its worst recessions ever, Vietnam posted GDP growth of 2.91 percent in 2020 thanks to its solid control of outbreaks and timely support to both enterprises and local people.
The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a long shadow and created uncertainty over the global economy. The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), however, offers a beacon of hope, as it marks a victory for multilateralism and free trade regionally and globally.
Export revenue in 2020 is estimated to reach 267 billion USD while imports are to reach 260 billion USD, resulting in a trade surplus of some 7 billion USD. Experts said 2020 has been a tough year for all economic sectors, but foreign trade has been profitable.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (known as the RCEP), which was signed on November 15, is the largest free trade agreement in the world. While offering substantial opportunities to Vietnamese exporters, it will also make the competitive landscape even fiercer, both at home and abroad.