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Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has said that Vietnam and China should step up cooperation in cross-border infrastructure projects.

Fresh foreign-investment approvals in Vietnam in the year to February 20 had reached more than US$4.29 billion, up by 38.6% year-on-year, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Germany's Siemens has shown interest in contributing to Vietnam's transportation infrastructure, particularly in the high-speed railway sector.

Vietnam's shrimp exports are forecast to rebound and rise by 10-15% year-on-year, with revenue reaching US$4 billion, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) has started work on Metro Line No. 2, which will connect Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Tham Luong Depot in District 12.

Four factories in Vietnam of the South Korean conglomerate Samsung contributed around one-third to its global profits last year, the local media reported.

The demand for loans in HCMC has remained woefully low, with total outstanding loans declining in the year to date.

Brazil has announced the suspension of tilapia imports from Vietnam, effective from February 14, due to concerns over the TiLV virus.

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) is inviting tenders for some key contract packages of the Long Thanh International Airport project.

The Ministry of Transport is seeking the Government's approval to upgrade three national highways in the Mekong Delta region.

Vietnam is weighing extending a unilateral visa waiver to more countries, especially those having upgraded ties with the nation.

Vietnam's exports reached nearly US$33.6 billion in January this year, up 42% over the same period in 2023, the highest monthly level since April 2022.

Following the Tet holiday, businesses in Binh Duong Province have great demand for hiring, with around 60,000 jobs available across various sectors, according to the Binh Duong Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

Work on the Long Thanh-Ben Luc Expressway, connecting Dong Nai and Long An provinces, is set to be completed by late 2025 after a restart in 2023 following a four-year suspension.

The Ministry of Transport has announced the caps on domestic air ticket prices will increase by VND50,000 to VND250,000 per ticket compared to the current levels.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for intensified efforts to expedite the construction of Terminal T3 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC so that it can be inaugurated in time for the 50th anniversary of the liberation of southern Vietnam in late April 2025.

FiinGroup has forecast that around VND120 trillion worth of real estate bonds will fall due this year, the highest level in five years, exerting significant pressure on property firms.

Vietnam-China trade through the Kim Thanh II international border gate in the northern province of Lao Cai has remained steady despite the Lunar New Year holiday, with 801 tons of goods crossing on February 10.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has made clear that its recently issued Circular 22 imposes no restrictions on lending to those buying homes that will be constructed in the future.

A new air route connecting Danang, a central coastal city in Vietnam, and Cheongju in South Korea has been launched, providing greater connectivity between the two regions and promoting tourism development for both countries.

The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) recorded a surge of over 50% in digital money transfer transactions in January compared to the same period last year, signaling a significant shift in consumer behavior towards non-cash payment methods.

Construction of two sections of Beltway No. 2 is scheduled to begin in December this year when Thu Duc City completes compensation, resettlement support, and the handover of over 70% of cleared land.

Foreign investors pledged more than US$2.36 billion in their projects in Vietnam in the first month of 2024, a 40.2% increase compared to the same period last year.

The government of HCMC has set an ambitious target to achieve a gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth rate of at least 6.5% in the first quarter of 2024, the highest level since 2020.

Vietnam has the high possibility of securing a major rice export contract after an Indonesian auction.

As the Lunar New Year, or Tet, approaches, major supermarket chains across the country have announced to extend their operating hours to meet the rising shopping demand in the lead up to the national holiday.

The consumer price index (CPI) in January has risen by 3.37% over the same period last year, with core inflation increasing by 2.72%, according to the General Statistics Office.

The Ministry of Transport has announced that the renovation of three national highways in the Mekong Delta will commence within this year.

Vietnam Railway Authority is working with its Chinese counterpart to create a standard gauge rail link between the two nations in Lao Cai Province. The project is scheduled for implementation in 2025.

HCMC received an impressive US$9.5 billion in remittances from abroad last year, beating the estimate by around US$500 million, according to Nguyen Duc Lenh, deputy director of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV)'s HCMC branch.

The construction of a section of the HCMC Beltway No. 2, stretching from Pham Van Dong Avenue to Go Dua intersection, could not be completed as scheduled for last year, so it has been rescheduled to 2026.

The U.S. has expressed interest in cooperating with Vietnam in renewable energy and semiconductor chip production.

The Ministry of  Education and Training has introduced a program for foreigners who are interested in teaching English at foreign language centers in Vietnam.

The HCMC government has released a list of 28 projects which will be introduced at a conference on green growth slated for January 24.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has called on South Korean tech giant Samsung to support Vietnam to improve the capabilities of domestic businesses, especially those in the semiconductor industry.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has reiterated Vietnam's commitment to facilitating Hungarian goods' access to the Vietnamese and ASEAN markets.

Hyosung Group, a South Korean conglomerate known for its expertise in electrical transformer manufacturing, is planning to inject an additional investment of US$2 billion into Vietnam this year.

Three State-run banks – BIDV, VietinBank and Agribank – further cut deposit rates by 20 to 40 basis points on January 17.

Total outstanding loans in the economy are expected to rise by 4.4% in the first quarter of this year, signaling a departure from earlier forecasts, according to the State Bank of Vietnam's Department of Forecasting and Statistics.

HCMC was the frontrunner among all Vietnamese localities in foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction last year, with US$5.85 billion registered in the city.

The inventory-to-sales ratio in the processing and manufacturing industry surged to 87.5% in 2023, up from 78.1% in the previous year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The General Statistics Office (GSO) has projected that 162,500 new businesses will enter the market this year, up by 2% compared to the previous year.

Vietnam set a new record in rice exports in 2023, with over 8.1 million tons valued at US$4.7 billion, yet the results still undershot the target set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Vietnam put its 2023 foreign trade at over US$681 billion, 6.9% lower than in the previous year, according to the General Statistics Office.

The Ministry of Finance in Vietnam has proposed a 5% value-added tax (VAT) for fertilizers, a departure from the current tax-exempt status outlined in the Value-Added Tax Law.

Standard Chartered Bank has projected Vietnam's GDP growth at 6.7% this year following a 5.05% expansion in 2023.

The Government has urged commercial banks to make things easier for residents and businesses to take out loans.

With a 15% credit growth target set for 2024, an additional VND2 quadrillion will be injected into the economy this year, said a leader of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) at a press conference on January 5.

The Department for Roads of Vietnam has written to the Ministry of Transport proposing revising up the speed limit on nine expressways to 90 kilometers per hour from the current 80, but for certain types of vehicle.

In response to the high travel demand before and after the Tet holiday, the railway sector in Vietnam has made an additional 7,000 tickets available for routes connecting HCMC to central and northern provinces during the time for family reunion.

The Vietnam Expressway Development Investment Corporation (VEC) has announced plans to adjust up tolls on four expressways under its management, starting next month.