Vietnam Morning News For July 19

Vinacomin aims to sell 39m tonnes of coal in 2018
The Viet Nam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) aims to sell 38.5-39 tonnes of coal, including 34.2 million tonnes of clean coal, by the year-end, up 1.32 million tonnes from last year.
— Bizhub

Vietnam Airlines aims to become five-star airline in 2020
Vietnam Airlines has reached five-star standards for 30 percent of the 700 criteria from the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax, a step forward in its quest to become a five-star airline in 2020.
— VietnamPlus

Vietnam imports 60 percent of potatoes for processing
Vietnam’s factories need some 180,000 tons of potatoes for processing a year, but domestic production currently meets only 40 percent of that demand, says the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
— Fresh Plaza

Vietnam makes effort to reduce logistics costs
Since the start of his term, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has consistently emphasised the goal of perfecting the institutions, of which comprehensive administrative reform is a part. And such a bold resolve has exerted a positive impact on the economy.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Chinese steel finds Vietnam a safe heaven amid trade war
Chinese steel producers are planning to distribute their production capacity to other countries.
— The Hanoi Times

Vietnam to protect their Da Lat potato brand
The People’s Committee of Vietnam’s Lam Dong province has approved a pilot project aimed to promote the Da Lat potato brand. This is part of a concerted effort to combat Chinese potatoes, that are sold as being from of Da Lat.
— Fresh Plaza

Vietnam goes on the defence
With China and the United States (US) as its largest export destinations, Vietnam is seeking ways to insulate itself from an escalating trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
— The Asean Post

Vietnam go for e-government with vision
The Government needs to change itself in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) in order to be able to govern the country in the digital age, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said.
— Khmer Times

Vietnam spends US$14 million per day paying interest on loans
Vietnam saw a budget surplus of VND2.5 trillion (US$107.58 million) in the first six months this year, indicating a sharp improvement from the budget deficit of VND20 trillion (US$860.5 million) from the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Finance.
— The Hanoi Times

Vietnam prepares for huge tropical storm
Vietnam ordered vessels back to port and prepared evacuation plans in its flood-prone provinces as it braced itself for tropical storm Son Tinh, which was expected to make landfall last night.
— The Straits Times

Vietnam National Assembly passes new competition law
On 12 June 2018, the National Assembly of Vietnam passed the new Competition Law (“New Law”), which comes into effect on 1 July 2019.
— Lexology

Vietnam ‘Scrambling’ Since China’s Ban on Scrap Imports
In the wake of China’s ban on U.S. scrap imports, Vietnam has been scrambling for solutions and is now “facing the prospect of becoming a trash basket.”
— Waste 360

Vietnam looks to import beef, corn, soy from Brazil
Vietnam could become the leading importer of corn and soybeans of Brazil and will consider importing beef as well. Brazil in turn will also boost imports of Vietnamese coffee, pangasius and shrimp.
— UKR Agro Consult

Vietnam moves to protect economy as US, China spar
With China and the United States as its largest export destinations, Vietnam is seeking ways to insulate itself from an escalating trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
— The Straits Times

Nestlé expands coffee capsule production facility in Vietnam
Nestlé has expanded its Tri An coffee production facility in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, as the company has installed a new coffee capsule production line at the plant.
— Foodbev

Vietnam’s First Real Car Co. Takes Aim at the West
The first “volume” Vietnamese automaker will reveal two new models designed by Pininfarina during the Paris Motor Show this coming October, setting into motion what it hopes will be a global rollout over the next few years.
— The Detroit Bureau

Vietnam: Maritime sector struggles to maintain workforce
Statistics of the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VMA) showed the workforce of the industry dropped from more than 45,000 in 2014 to over 39,000 in May 2018, with the highest fall seen in the number of sailors.
— Hellenic Shipping News

Vietnam-Malaysia trade up 21.15% in first half of 2018
Two-way trade value of Vietnam and Malaysia in the January-June period this year expanded 21.15% on a yearly basis to more than US$5.84 billion, according to statistics of the Vietnamese trade office in Malaysia.
— Nhan Dan Online

Insurance industry hits growth of 24 percent in H1
Vietnam’s insurance industry achieved high year-on-year growth of 24.35 percent in the first half of 2018, helping total revenue to reach more than 58.65 trillion VND (2.58 billion USD).
— VietnamPlus

Inflation target below 4% may be feasible
Vietnam is expected to successfully keep its inflation rate at under 4% this year, despite great pressures from price increases to a series of items in the country until the year’s end.
— Nhan Dan Online

Vietnam – a fresh, attractive hub for South Korean auto parts manufacturers
Vietnam’s policy on tightening control over imported automobiles can encourage South Korean investors to set their car parts production bases in Vietnam, according to the Nhip Cau Dau Tu magazine.
— The Hanoi Times

Vietnam ETE and Enertec Expo kicks off
The eleventh International Exhibition on Electrical Technology and Equipment (Vietnam ETE) 2018 and the eighth International Exhibition on Products and Technologies for Energy-Saving and Green Power (Enertec Expo) 2018 opened in Ho Chi Minh City on July 18.
— Nhan Dan Online

Vietnam arrests 3 Lao drug traffickers
Relevant forces of Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province on Tuesday detained three Lao men when they were transporting 25 kg of crystal methamphetamine and 52 cakes of heroin in a pickup truck.
— Xinhua

Singapore’s AsiaCollect acquires first consumer NPL portfolio in Vietnam
AsiaCollect is focused on executing many more such transaction going forward, said Tomasz Borowski, CEO and co-founder of the company.
— The Hanoi Times

Southern Vietnam sees 2 more H1N1 deaths
A pregnant woman from Vietnam’s southern Dong Thap province and a man with diabetes from southern Tay Ninh province died on Tuesday after contracting flu virus H1N1, the two provincial health departments said on Wednesday.
— Xinhua

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