Economy

A Cambodian girl collects rubber sap at a farm in Tbong Khmum province. 
Business Spotlight

From Cambodia to Thailand, rubber producers brace for new EU rules

Deforestation regulation's requirement to prove sources called tough and costly

3 November 2023
Workers repair electricity lines in Hanoi. Vietnam was hit by a wave of power cuts over the summer, with some companies worried the problem will persist over the coming years.
Energy

Vietnam power crunch fears darken business outlook

Experts say blackouts could repeat in 2024 due to plant delays, grid constraints

24 October 2023
Currencies in Southeast Asia have trended lower against the dollar in recent months due to tepid regional economic growth and interest rate gaps with the U.S. (Source photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Malaysian, Thai economies suffer as currencies slide vs. dollar

ASEAN depreciations bring higher import costs and increase inflation risks

16 October 2023
Tourists walk past the Wat Arun temple in Bangkok on Sept. 10. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Travel & Leisure

Chinese travelers' slow return hits Southeast Asian economies

Share of China tourists declines in Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia

13 October 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden raises a toast with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong in Hanoi on Sept. 11.
Economy

Biden's Vietnam visit generates new wave of interest in investment

American businesses may flock to the country in fourth investment boom

10 October 2023
Shipping containers at Tien Sa Port in Da Nang: As Vietnam continues to integrate its production with China's, its growing export sector will make it more susceptible to external shocks. 
Opinion

Vietnam is pointing the way for ASEAN to upgrade its exports

Region's economies should seek alignment with emerging Chinese sectors

5 October 2023
Sea's e-commerce platform, Shopee, has become the biggest online shopping site in Southeast Asia.
Markets

Thai, Singapore tech firms surge in market value

Delta and Sea worth more since pandemic while conglomerates falter

3 October 2023
Unfinished residential buildings in Shaanxi province. Problems in the property market are dragging on the Chinese economy.
Economy

World Bank cuts China's 2024 growth amid property crisis

'Growth shock' from Asia's largest economy affects rest of region: report

2 October 2023
Tourists walk along a street in the ancient town of Hoi An. Recovery in the tourism industry helped boost Vietnam's economy in the July-September quarter. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Economy

Vietnam's Q3 GDP growth accelerates to 5.33%

Tourism recovers, but growth still below pre-COVID levels

29 September 2023
Although Vietnam's role in electronics supply chains is ballooning, a current slowdown is pushing many factory hands to take on gig work. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Supply Chain

Vietnam's factory doldrums show limits of shift out of China

Export contraction continues into eighth month, but Biden deals bring hope

15 September 2023
Two Vietnamese airlines have confirmed major orders for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft during U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Hanoi. (NIKKEI montage/Source photos by AP and Getty)
Supply Chain

Jet and chip deals agreed during Biden's Hanoi trip

Vietnam gains from U.S. supply chain diversification; critics frown on arms trade

11 September 2023
Samsung Electronics has made Vietnam a major part of its global strategy for smartphone production.
Business Spotlight

Samsung smartphone slump casts shadow over Vietnam

South Korean tech titan reluctant to meet Hanoi request for chip plant

1 September 2023
Nigel Huddleston, the UK's Minister of State for International Trade, said the U.K. joined the CPTPP to boost commerce and "help shape" trade rules in areas it is "passionate about," like the digital economy. (Reuters)
Interview

U.K. trade minister rejects doubt over CPTPP gains for country

With China keen to join, Huddleston says states must play by rules

27 August 2023
A Jakarta shopping district. The cross-border QR code payment arrangement will make it easier for Southeast Asians to pay for items in other countries in the region.
Economy

Vietnam, Philippines and Brunei to join cross-border QR payment scheme

ASEAN-wide arrangement would ease reliance on U.S. dollar

26 August 2023
Ho Chi Minh City has plenty of upmarket condos, but analysts hope a market correction will bring Vietnam's prices back down to earth. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Property

Vietnam hopes property shakeup will remedy supply-demand mismatch

Echoes of China as bond defaults mount and real estate deals slow

21 August 2023
A farmer works in a rice paddy in Thailand's central Khon Kaen province. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Commodities

India's rice export ban brings chaos to Thai market

Surging demand sparks speculative hoarding, undercuts export opportunity

17 August 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to turn India into a global semiconductor production hub. 
Markets

Global investors pivot from flagging China to India, Vietnam

China dethroned as top emerging Asian market due to economic, geopolitical risks

1 August 2023
Blackpink -- from left: Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie -- headlines the Coachella festival on April 22 in Indio, California.
International relations

Blackpink takes Vietnam by storm, riding Korean economic wave

Superstars' concert is just one way South Korean influence has engulfed country

29 July 2023
Vietnam accounts for 70% of offshoring by Japanese companies. (Photo courtesy of Sun Asterisk)
Work

Vietnam's IT workers will be tough for Japan to attract

Higher wages push Asian graduates to U.S., European companies

25 July 2023
U.S. semiconductor subsidies aren't just for domestic factories: Washington will pay foreign friends to invest in chips, something Asia should exploit, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in Vietnam. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Semiconductors

Yellen urges Asia to tap CHIPS Act funds for semiconductors

U.S. Treasury Secretary also says Amkor plans mega chip plant in Vietnam

21 July 2023
Demand for structural steel in Vietnam has plummeted as the struggling economy has left some buildings unfinished.
Economy

Vietnam's glowing economic statistics raise eyebrows at home

Businesses question GDP figures as Hanoi buildings sit half finished

15 July 2023
Vietnam's first imports of liquefied natural gas reached PetroVietnam Gas' Thi Vai terminal this month. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Energy

Vietnam, Philippines heat up LNG demand in Southeast Asia

With renewables lagging, countries seek more accessible alternative to coal

14 July 2023
Scooters zip through Hanoi's busy streets. Vietnam has been one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Economy

Vietnam Q2 growth picks up to 4.14% but remains lackluster

Minister says achieving 6.5% annual target a 'big challenge'

29 June 2023
Vietnam's National Assembly building in Hanoi. The VAT cut was among the major issues discussed by the country's main legislative body over the past two months. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Economy

Vietnam lowers VAT to 8% again amid economic headwinds

Tax cut to run from July to December to boost stimulus measures

27 June 2023
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Vietnamese counterpart, Vo Van Thuong, greet each other in Hanoi on June 23. Their countries have close economic ties.
International relations

South Korea and Vietnam to bolster minerals, energy partnerships

Yoon brings Samsung Chairman Lee, other business chiefs on state visit

23 June 2023