Vietnam spent over US$1 billion importing unprocessed seafood to turn out products for export last year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

India accounted for almost half the volume of completely built-up (CBU) passenger cars Vietnam imported last year despite lower tariffs on vehicles from ASEAN countries.

Starbucks Reserve coffee grown in Cau Dat District, Dalat City has been made available for guests to order at Starbucks stores in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese leader of a campaign to stop demand for rhino horn says the recent South African court ruling to lift the ban on the domestic sale of rhino horn in the country would make Vietnamese consumers more convinced of the medical effects of the horn.

Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) has again proposed the Ministry of Finance cut the environmental protection fee on its bauxite projects by 90%.

Japan international midfielder Keisuke Honda, who plays for the Serie A football club AC Milan has had a training session with 100 local and Japanese kids and a friendly with former Vietnam squad members Tran Minh Quang and Nguyen Huu Thang at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 5.

Weak supporting industries and a lack of skilled labor are among the major barriers to foreign investment capital flow in the city, according to representatives of foreign-invested companies.

ANZ Bank predicted that the Year of the Goat could well be an auspicious year for household consumption in Vietnam after consumer confidence has grown this month.