Business News

Lâm Đồng Province aims to raise the digital economy’s contribution to around 30 per cent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) by 2030, as part of a five-year plan to develop digital economy and society issued recently. Under Plan No. 15358/KH-UBND, the province targets more than 60 per cent of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt digital technologies by 2030 while increasing the value of cashless payments to 30 times its GRDP.

An Giang Province plans to expand e-commerce in its border and mountainous areas over the 2027–30 period, using online sales to open up new markets for its products and strengthen trade with Cambodia. The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province shares a long land border with Cambodia and has four international border gates. 

Hà Nội's goods imports rose 41 per cent from a year earlier to an estimated US$42.66 billion in the first eight months of 2026, the city's Statistics Office said. Imports of machinery, equipment and spare parts increased 45 per cent to $8.78 billion in the period, reflecting stronger production activity, investment and demand for production inputs among businesses.

Hà Nội has introduced a series of new mechanisms and policies aimed at attracting strategic investors, particularly those with advanced technologies, strong intellectual resources and substantial financial capacity. The measures are intended to create a more favourable investment environment while channelling capital into sectors aligned with the capital’s long-term development priorities.

Việt Nam's exports of footwear and handbags to the US exceeded US$8 billion in the first eight months of 2026, as the US and EU remained the country's biggest markets despite sluggish growth in footwear shipments. Exports from Việt Nam's leather and footwear sector reached more than $2.45 billion in August, down 9 per cent from July but up 3 per cent from a year earlier, according to preliminary statistics.

Việt Nam's rural areas are emerging as a major growth opportunity for the retail sector, with more than 60 million people, or about 65 per cent of the population, still relying largely on traditional markets and small grocery shops. Citing data from the Statistics Department under the Ministry of Finance, economists estimate that total retail sales of goods and consumer services could reach US$305 billion in 2026. 

Besides infrastructure, Việt Nam must also rapidly develop a highly skilled workforce to attract investment in AI, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, experts have said. Don Lam, CEO and co-founder of investment management company VinaCapital, said that global technology investors were increasingly looking at the readiness of the entire ecosystem, with high-quality human resources a decisive factor.

Vietnamese coffee has favourable prospects for strong increases in both export volume and prices in the final months of the year, as low inventories, weather-related disruptions to global supply and higher product standards among importers provide favourable conditions, with the quality and reputation of Vietnamese coffee increasingly established.