MANUFACTURING FIRMS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT Q2 BUSINESS OUTLOOK
Nearly 46% of manufacturing and processing firms expect better business conditions in the second quarter of the year, according to a survey released by the General Statistics Office (GSO). The survey found that 45.8% of firms expect conditions to improve, 39.2% anticipate stability, and 15% forecast greater challenges, according to the Vietnam News Agency.
E-COMMERCE MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW, BUT HAS BECOME MORE POLARISED: REPORT
The e-commerce market in Việt Nam experienced an overall strong growth during the first three months of the year, but there is a widening discrepancy in sales between small and large retail sellers, according to a recent report released by digital data analytic platform Metric. The ‘Market Overview Report for Online Retail Platforms in Q1/2025 and Forecast for Q2/2025’ published on metric.vn is based on data gathered from the four e-commerce platforms Shopee, Lazada, Tiki and TikTok Shop.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS A LEVER FOR GREENER INNOVATION
Public-private partnerships are no longer a supporting mechanism, but a strategic pillar in the global pursuit of the green transition. The high-level dialogue between government leaders and businesses at the 2025 P4G Vietnam Summit last week, chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, brought together senior officials, global experts, international organisations, and private sector leaders.
PM GIVES DIRECTIONS ON KEY MEASURES TO BOOST ECONOMIC GROWTH THIS YEAR
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính signed an official dispatch on April 22, outlining key tasks and solutions aimed at driving Việt Nam’s economic growth throughout the year. The document comes amid a backdrop of increasingly complex and unpredictable global developments. It said heightened strategic competition among major powers, widespread trade wars and a deteriorating global economic outlook are posing significant challenges.
VIỆT NAM’S SOLAR EXPORTS HIT WITH US DUTIES OF UP TO 542.6 PER CENT
The US has officially imposed steep tariffs on solar energy products imported from four Southeast Asian countries, including Việt Nam, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia. The tariffs unveiled on Apr 21 vary widely depending on the company and country, but were broadly higher than the preliminary duties announced late last year.
ASEAN, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND’S UPGRADED FREE TRADE AREA DEAL ENTERS INTO FORCE
An upgraded agreement between Asean, Australia and New Zealand entered into force on April 21, enhancing business opportunities across a free trade area of over 703 million people, with a combined gross domestic product of more than US$5.6 trillion (S$7.3 trillion). The deal to upgrade the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) was signed in Indonesia in August 2023 to promote opportunities in areas such as e-commerce, investment, services, sustainable development, consumer protection and government procurement.
AGRICULTURAL EXPORT MARKETS DIVERSIFY
Vietnam is stepping up efforts to boost agricultural exports as it seeks to diversify its overseas markets and deepen economic ties with key partners. During a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Uzbekistan last week, Vietnamese National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man met with Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Losang Jamcan.
