GROWTH RACE BEGINS TURNING PROVINCES INTO NEW ECONOMIC ENGINES
A new growth race is taking shape across Việt Nam, but this time it is not just about which province expands the fastest. The latest gross regional domestic product (GRDP) figures reveal a deeper shift in the way the country is managing its economy, with localities increasingly expected to become independent growth engines rather than simply implementing centrally assigned policies.
VIỆT NAM SEEKS TO EXPAND FRUIT EXPORTS TO CHINA THROUGH QUALITY AND VALUE
Despite strong performance, industry experts said there was still considerable room to expand Việt Nam's fruit and vegetable exports to China. However, they noted that this would depend on Vietnamese producers improving product quality, traceability, processing capacity and logistics to meet China's increasingly stringent import requirements.
VIETNAMESE STEELMAKERS FIND GROWTH MOMENTUM DESPITE EXPORT CHALLENGES
Vietnamese steelmakers are contending with a triple blow of mounting trade barriers, tougher green production mandates and persistent global market turbulence. A manufacturing rebound, public investment-led domestic demand and a drive to sharpen competitiveness are nonetheless giving the industry space to sustain its growth trajectory.
PHU THO SHARPENS STRATEGY TO ATTRACT NEXT-GENERATION INVESTMENT
Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chaired a working session on July 14 with the Standing Committee of Phu Tho Party Committee to review the province's socioeconomic performance, double-digit growth target, public investment disbursement, implementation of the two-tier local government model, and progress on Politburo Resolution No.57-NQ/TW on science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation.
CHINA IMPORTS $1.4 BILLION OF VIETNAMESE SEAFOOD IN FIRST HALF OF 2026
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), China continued to increase imports of Vietnamese seafood, particularly shrimp, in the first half of 2026, the ministry reported on July 13. Vietnam exported more than $5.7 billion worth of seafood in the first half of 2026, up 11.4 per cent from a year earlier. China accounted for nearly $1.4 billion of the total, making it Vietnam’s largest seafood export market, while shipments to the US reached almost $898 million.
EUROPEAN BUSINESS CONFIDENCE IN VIETNAM SURGED IN SECOND QUARTER
Defying global supply chain volatility and shifting trade dynamics, European business confidence in Vietnam has surged to 79.7 points in the second quarter of 2026, underscoring Vietnam's resilience amid one of the most volatile global operating environments in recent years. Marking the 15-year anniversary of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) flagship Business Confidence Index (BCI), the second-quarter report reveals a renewed surge in European business confidence.
VIETNAM'S AUTO MARKET HITS TURNING POINT AS ELECTRIC VEHICLES RESHAPE SECTOR
On July 10, VinFast announced that it had delivered 17,955 electric vehicles (EVs) to customers in Vietnam in June, bringing its total sales in the first six months of 2026 to 115,916 units, up 72 per cent compared to the same period in 2025. It also marked the first time a carmaker in Vietnam has surpassed the milestone of 100,000 vehicles sold within the first half of a calendar year.
TRADE BUDGET REVENUE NEARS VND265 TRILLION, DRIVEN BY CUSTOMS REFORM
Budget revenue from Vietnam's import-export activities reached VND264.795 trillion (US$10.59 billion) in the first six months of 2026, up 18.6% from the same period last year. The result reflects not only the strong recovery in trade but also progress in institutional reform, administrative simplification, and digital transformation across the customs sector, helping reduce compliance costs, improve competitiveness, and facilitate trade for businesses.
