Vietnam

Vingroup's automotive plant in the northern Vietnamese city of Haiphong operated far below capacity during 2021.
Automobiles

Vingroup loses $1bn in manufacturing on poor sales of gasoline cars

Vietnamese company makes big investments in shift to EVs

9 February 2022
Vinamilk is the biggest dairy producer in Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of Vinamilk)
Food & Beverage

Vietnam dairy king bets on middle-class taste for Japan-quality beef

Vinamilk challenges American and Australian imports in Japanese tie-up

4 February 2022
Garment workers in Ho Chi Minh City. Coronavirus-related layoffs and travel curbs last summer left many migrants stuck in the city for months without income.
Supply Chain

Ho Chi Minh City's labor woes threaten global supply chains

Vietnam's industrial south seen short 100,000 workers due to COVID

1 February 2022
This Murata plant in the Philippines is the electronics maker's first overseas site to be fully powered by rooftop solar. (Photo courtesy of Murata) 
Business Spotlight

Japan Inc.'s green shift in Southeast Asia hits renewables roadblocks

Legacy of financing coal haunts companies and regional suppliers

28 January 2022
Vietnamese Prime Minister Chinh, second from right, appears on stage without a mask on Jan. 20, signaling his determination to return Vietnam to normalcy. (Photo courtesy of Vingroup)
Coronavirus

Vietnam eases reentry curbs in move to live with COVID-19

Hanoi takes big step in return to normalcy before Lunar New Year holiday

26 January 2022
A barista serves coffee in one of Seoul's many trendy cafes, the demand for which is growing throughout Asia due to the emergence of a new breed of pandemic era coffee connoisseurs. (Photo by Jean Chung)
The Big Story

Asia's coffee revolution: From Indonesia to Vietnam, homegrown beans are back

More disposable income and TikTok trends push coffee ahead of tea

26 January 2022
Passengers wait to board a train at the Hankow Railway Station in Wuhan, China, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, normally the busiest travel time in the country. 
Supply Chain

China, Vietnam urge workers to hunker down over Lunar New Year

COVID travel curbs and labor shortages could hit critical tech supply chains

24 January 2022
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22 January 2022
Last year marked the first time workers could put part of their paychecks into private retirement accounts, on top of the share contributed to the state pension in Vietnam.
Economy

Vietnam adds private pension as silver tide rises

Communist nation's share of elderly to triple, but public reserves called robust

17 January 2022
Muskmelons are grown at Nishijima Horticultural Park's farm in Nankoku, Kochi Prefecture. (Photo by Ken Hotai)
Agriculture

Premium Japanese melons bound for Singapore, grapes for Vietnam

Farm once popular with Asian tourists looks overseas for fresh growth

17 January 2022
A UOB branch in Singapore. The bank's acquisition of Citigroup's consumer banking businesses in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam enables it to instantly expand its customer base from 2.9 million retail customers to 5.3 million in the four markets.
Finance

Citi sells ASEAN assets to Singapore's UOB in $3.6bn deal

Purchase of commercial banking units comes as region's digital battle heats up

14 January 2022
Thailand-based Indorama is the world's top producer of PET, a resin used in plastic bottles. (Photo courtesy of Indorama)
Business deals

Thai plastics producer Indorama to buy Vietnam bottle maker

Ngoc Nghia acquisition would expand presence in fast-growing market

13 January 2022
Hanoi will grant Can Tho increased autonomy.
Politics

Vietnam promotes Can Tho to special city, focusing on Mekong Delta

China's presence in South China Sea pushes Hanoi to rebalance development plans

11 January 2022
VinFast shows off one of its electric vehicles at CES on Jan. 5. The company, the auto unit of top Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, plans to deliver EVs in the U.S. by the end of 2022.
CES 2022

VinFast unveils EV lineup at CES ahead of U.S. push

Vietnam company says it will set up manufacturing sites in America by 2024

6 January 2022
Women sort recyclable parts from electronic equipment in Quan Do, Vietnam: The country is concerned about becoming a dumping ground for the world's electronic waste. 
Environment

Vietnam aims for 'circular economy' with recycling law

From Apple to Asahi, new rules encourage cleaner supply chains and greener products

6 January 2022
A Phuc Long coffee counter is located beside a Techcombank at this WinMart Plus convenience store in Hanoi. (Photo by Tomoya Onishi)
Retail

Vietnam's retail king Masan adds cafes and banks to minimarts

WinMart operator aims to become one-stop shop during pandemic and beyond

31 December 2021
Passengers wearing protective masks wait to board a flight in Vietnam in October. The country's government must balance fighting the coronavirus with trying to get the economy back on track.
Economy

Vietnam real GDP growth slows to 2.58% in 2021 as pandemic drags

Exports remain solid, but consumer spending drops

29 December 2021
Vietnam's major telecom operators agreed to share 5G infrastructure in an effort to streamline capital investment. (Photo courtesy of Viettel)
5G networks

Vietnam to issue 5G licenses in 2022 after pandemic delays

Coverage to start in major cities and industrial zones

29 December 2021
Vingroup has begun deliveries of electric cars about two and a half years after entering the auto industry. (Photo courtesy of Vingroup)
Automobiles

Vietnam's first homegrown EVs go on sale in milestone for VinFast

Vingroup auto arm plans expansion to U.S. and Europe in 2022

27 December 2021
A MaxValu store in Vietnam: Aeon plans to expand the chain to about 100 locations in the Southeast Asian country.
Retail

As Vietnam's wet markets suffer, Aeon moves in with big stores

Country is 'most important' part of Japanese retailer's overseas strategy

25 December 2021
Trucks waiting to cross into China from Vietnam's Lang Son Province on Dec.21.
Economy

China tightens border with Vietnam, stokes trade worries

Tougher controls cast shadow over Hanoi's economic recovery

24 December 2021
VinFast displays vehicles in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where it began selling cars in 2019. It plans to enter the electric car markets in North America and Europe. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Automobiles

Vietnam's Vingroup plans $1.5bn bond ahead of EV push in U.S.

Conglomerate also debuts Vietnam's first EV battery plant

23 December 2021
A screenshot of "Squid Game Parody," a Vietnamese show on YouTube that satirizes the Netflix original.
Tea Leaves

Vietnam's 'Squid Game' comedies entertain, but to what end?

Copycat fad shows how a single hit cultural product can shape public imagination

22 December 2021
Fishing boats off Vietnam's Phu Quoc island in October 2019. Vietnam exports more seafood than all but two countries, but illegal fishing is attracting global scrutiny.
Economy

Vietnam reins in fisheries as EU 'yellow card' threatens sector

Continued illegal fishing may cause third-biggest exporter to lose billions

21 December 2021
One of the cafes in Ho Chi Minh City that accept MoMo payments. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Technology

Vietnam e-wallet MoMo gains unicorn status with $200m investment

Cash floods into heated payments contest against Grab's Moca and VNG's Zalo

21 December 2021