VOV.VN - Vietnam’s steel imports rose 27.24% to US$9 billion last year, while exports dipped 14% to US$2.46, pushing the import surplus to US$6.54 billion, the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) has officially announced.

FPT was recognised on February 17 as the company with the best corporate governance in Vietnam by financial publication Asia Money. 

Local enterprises have exported more to the Republic of Korea since a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Northeast Asian country went into force last December.

Ambitious plans of big mobile phone retailers including The Gioi Di Dong (Mobile World), FPT Shop and Vienthong A to open thousands of outlets have made life difficult for smaller businesses in the sector.

Hanoi will hasten administrative reforms in customs and tax and create favourable conditions for production in an effort to boost the city's exports.

Military Commercial Bank (MB), Vietnam's fourth biggest listed lender by market value, expects to offer foreign investors an additional 10% stake this month in a bid to improve liquidity in the stock, a senior executive said.

Two-way trade between Vietnam and Australia saw a year-on-year decrease of 19% to US$4.93 billion in 2015, according to latest statistics from the General Department of Customs.

A total amount of VND14.2 trillion (US$634 million) from government bonds, which is the remaining capital from expansion projects on National Highway 1A and Ho Chi Minh Highway, will be used to construct 17 new projects and repair dozens of weak bridges on highways.

Vietnam advanced in the latest consumer confidence ranking by global information and measurement company Nielsen.

State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Governor Nguyen Van Binh on February 17 asked credit institutions to boost lending right after Tet (Lunar New Year) in a move to support businesses.

Ho Chi Minh City is asking for the government's approval to accept a new engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractor who would be responsible for moving technical infrastructure for the Metro Line No 2 project.

The Haiphong Economic Zone Authority (HEZA) has announced its plan to lure a new wave of capital in 2016.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of southern Can Tho city Vo Thanh Thong has called for attracting multinational corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises operating in industry and support industry.

The ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Industry and Trade co-hosted a seminar in Hanoi on February 18 to discuss ways to further promote the export of farm produce to foreign markets.

The southern Ho Chi Minh City will foster production and improve the investment climate in an attempt to attract financial resources and manpower and encourage a business start-up movement among people in the city.

Vietnam’s securities sector reaped satisfactory results in 2015, thanks to its strong measures to attract external capital flows and through the restructuring of the stock market system. 

Grocery shopping services are expected to develop strongly in Vietnam as people want to order food and essential goods without having to leave their homes or offices.

Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air and Airbus have signed an agreement to open a training centre in Vietnam’s southern city of Ho Chi Minh at the ongoing Singapore international Airshow 2016.

VOV.VN - The cost of A92 petrol dipped to VND13.752 per litre as of 3 pm on February 18, the lowest price in over seven years. 

Vietnamese products are facing fierce competition from Thailand imports in the local market as Thai companies increasingly expand their presence in the country.

VOV.VN - Agriculture is poised to drive a new era of economic growth for Vietnam, if the nation focuses on revolutionizing how smallholder farms are operated and implements needed institutional reforms, say experts.

Domestic footwear producers must brace themselves for a bumpy ride ahead in the face of stiffer competition as they lag behind their regional rivals in terms of technology. 

The emergence of ride-sharing apps such as Uber may have threatened Vietnam’s taxi market, but one of the country’s major taxi operators is fighting back.

Phu Quoc island district in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is set to become a special economic zone and the locality’s growth driver between 2016-2020.

The 90 million strong domestic market holds the potential for the garment and textile sector to increase its revenue.

Vingroup, a large real estate group in Vietnam, has spent 22.5 million Australian dollars (approximately US$16.1 million) to buy land in Sydney to develop a hotel project. 

Vegetables, fruits and seafood are expected to benefit much from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement despite concerns that agriculture will be one of the most vulnerable sectors. 

VOV.VN - Several Italian manufacturers have announced plans to relocate their operations from China to Vietnam, as declining economic growth and rising wages there are making it difficult for them to continue doing business.

VOV.VN - Japan’s low-cost airline Vanilla Air under ANA Holdings Inc.has recently revealed its plan to explore air routes to Vietnam in the coming time. 

Foreign traders may establish representative offices and branches in Vietnam according to the country’s international commitments.