The credit growth of Vietnamese banks in the first five months of this year expanded by 5.07 per cent against the end of 2018, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) reported.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will take the initiative in changing trade policies and collaborate with other ministries and localities to effectively support domestic enterprises to increase exports, it said.

The country’s fine art and handicraft exports experienced a significant increase of 50 per cent to reach US$45 million in May, according to statistics from the General Department of Customs. 

Vietnam is among the top countries attracting foreign direct investment in the Asia-Pacific region, but the rate of domestic small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participating in the value chains of foreign-invested companies is rather low, according to the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City.

Da Nang will build a new terminal, T3, at its international airport with total investment of 9 trillion VND (391 million USD), increasing the airport’s capacity to 28 million passengers and 200,000 tonnes of cargo by 2030.

The Mekong Delta has the highest rate of drowning in the country, particularly in Dong Thap province, where the number of deaths due to drowning is 10 times higher compared to that of dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease combined.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has announced temporary anti-dumping duties on aluminum products originating from 17 Chinese producers.

Sichuan is looking for more tourists from Vietnam in the near future, according to Dou Wei Ping, vice director of the Sichuan Department of Culture and Tourism.

Viet Nam earned US$662 million from rubber exports in the first five months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 2.4 per cent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Halal food is a promising export product for Vietnamese companies to pursue though they may face challenges.