Economy

Scorching conditions from the El Nino weather pattern are expected to crimp production at palm oil plantations like this one in Indonesia's East Kalimantan province. 
Economy

From Indonesia to Vietnam, El Nino fans fears of fires and drought

Returning climate pattern set to hit key crops as well as industrial sector

23 June 2023
Textile and apparel companies display goods at a trade show in Ho Chi Minh City: Manufacturers are grappling with weaker foreign demand and domestic turmoil. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Economy

Vietnam grapples with shrinking exports, power crunch

Economists downgrade forecasts, saying country 'not out of woods yet'

14 June 2023
Power supply in Vietnam has not kept up with the country's rapid economic growth.
Energy

Vietnam factories near Hanoi told to cut power 50% on blackout risk

High temperatures and water shortages bring critical pinch in supply

8 June 2023
A car washed away by floods caused by Typhoon Goni in the Philippines in 2020.
Climate Change

Children in Vietnam, Philippines face high climate risks: report

UNICEF urges countries to develop infrastructure to minimize impact

1 June 2023
Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang tells Nikkei's Future of Asia conference about his country's economic outlook in Tokyo on May 25. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
The Future of Asia 2023

Vietnam will stick to 6.5% GDP target despite headwinds: deputy PM

Tran Luu Quang says public investment ramping up to compensate

25 May 2023
A construction site for an apartment building in Hanoi. Vietnamese housing sales have stalled due to high interest rates.
Politics

Vietnam eyes higher taxes to curb real estate speculation

Parliament to consider levy on second homes as debt risk soars

23 May 2023
A former member of the Myanmar parliament trains in an area controlled by ethnic Karen rebels.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar clashes stall completion of Southeast Asia economic corridor

Fighting along border with Thailand drives shipping costs to soar 50%

18 May 2023
Leaders of ASEAN countries pose for photos during the opening of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia on May 10.
Economy

ASEAN's patchy economic growth suggests long road to recovery

At regional summit, leaders discuss how to push bloc past COVID pains

10 May 2023
HSBC's research unit last month in a report flagged "pockets of vulnerabilities" within lenders in the ASEAN.
Finance

ASEAN banks squeezed between credit risks and interest dynamics

Largely spared Western peers' woes, Southeast Asian lenders still face obstacles

5 May 2023
Vinfast cars at a port in Haiphong city, Vietnam, to be shipped to the U.S. A decline in exports has hurt the country's economy.
Economy

Vietnam readies another sales tax cut to prop up flagging economy

Value-added tax to decrease to 8% as weak exports bite

27 April 2023
Apple is among U.S. investors in Vietnam, set to be the first country outside China to produce MacBooks, adding to the other Apple devices it already makes there. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Technology

Vietnam's digital ambitions spur hopes among U.S. businesses

Country needs American tech to hit internet targets, lobby says

26 April 2023
An aerial view of containers and cargo vessels at China's Qingdao port in May last year.
Caixin

Vietnam, Taiwan boost share of shipments to U.S. as China loses out

India, Cambodia also grow as 'low-cost' exporters, eroding Chinese dominance

25 April 2023
Factories have seen orders canceled in Vietnam, the Asian country most exposed to global swings in trade after Singapore. 
Business Spotlight

Vietnam's manufacturers brace for worse after GDP whiplash

Factory downturn marks sharp reversal and bellwether for Asian supply-chain hub

14 April 2023
Samsung gadgets for sale in Vietnam, the company's main phone manufacturing location. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Companies

Samsung meetings in Vietnam shine spotlight on global tax overhaul

Big Tech bracing for impact of OECD deal on minimum corporate levy

3 April 2023
Container ships at the Port of Felixstowe in England. CPTPP members have agreed on Britain's entry into the grouping.
Trade

U.K. accepted as 12th member of CPTPP trade bloc

Group aims to finalize first nonfounding member's accession in July

31 March 2023
New Vietnamese President Vo Van Truong, left, is a close ally of Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, right.
Politics

New Vietnam president moves party chief Trong closer to one-man rule

Power struggle with echoes of Xi's tactics raises fears for economy

3 March 2023
Exports of wood and other products from Vietnam declined in 2023 as global demand fell. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Supply Chain

Vietnam customs inspections cramp 59% of exporters, importers: survey

Trade dropped in fastest-growing ASEAN economy amid global downturn

24 February 2023
Drought in Cambodia is expected to reduce Vietnam's supply of rice, hindering its ability to export more of the staple to the Philippines.
Agriculture

Thai rice exports to Philippines set to double as Vietnam cuts back

Fresh demand to help boost Bangkok's annual trade in staple to 8.2 million tons

16 February 2023
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai shakes hands with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Feb. 14. Tai was in the country for a three-day visit.
Trade

China-less IPEF trade framework will benefit business: USTR

USTR Tai also sees lessons in 'dark' history with former war enemy Vietnam

15 February 2023
Japanese investment in Vietnam is also bringing awareness of how human rights affect supply chains, said the chief representative of JETRO in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Supply Chain

Vietnam at center of Japan's ASEAN supply chain shift: survey

Electronics investment, human rights awareness on the rise, trade body JETRO says

14 February 2023
Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, left, meets with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana presidential office in Singapore on Feb. 9.
International relations

Vietnam PM Chinh seals green deals on Singapore visit

Neighbors align on renewable energy as Hanoi turmoil clouds prospects

9 February 2023
Vietnamese will spend on food and beverages but cut back on big-ticket purchases because of concerns about the economy, Infocus Mekong Research says. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Consumer

As Vietnam exports slow, survey shows consumer gloom on the rise

Workers take on side jobs to make ends meet amid inflation and factory worries

7 February 2023
Vietnam promised under the CPTPP trade deal that the Communist Party would surrender its monopoly on labor unions, which would mark a rare relaxation of controls. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Economy

U.S. pushes Vietnam on union rights, Xinjiang forced labor

Envoy acknowledges issues in America, too, where employers are said to resist unions

30 January 2023
Vietnam's then-President Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok on Nov. 19. Experts fear the economy may slow following the sudden dismissal of the president.
Economy

Vietnam president's ouster may hamper business, analysts say

Communist Party's corruption purge could clean up economy -- or stem innovation

27 January 2023
Trucking is picking up along the China-Vietnam border as Beijing relaxes its COVID restrictions, with some trucks now crossing in less than a minute. (File photo by Getty Images) 
Supply Chain

China's COVID opening promises relief for Vietnam's supply chain

As truckers rush to the border, factory goods flow but trade demand ebbs

13 January 2023