(VOV) - Vietnam currently is the most attractive country of South and East Asia for transnational companies from the RoK– with relatively constant foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in recent years.

Export companies preferred loans in foreign currencies than in the Vietnamese dong due to a stable foreign exchange policy and lower interest expenses.

(VOV) - Vietnam is estimated to earn nearly US$1.5 billion this year from exporting fruit and vegetables while spending only US$521 million on imports, according to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association. 

(VOV) - The US has become the biggest importer of Vietnam, with two-way trade turnover reaching approximately US$28.5 billion in 2014, up 19.6% compared to last year’s figure.

(VOV) - Vietnam’s public debts were estimated at more than US$86.267 billion as of 8:40am (local time) on December 28, accounting for 47% of the country’s GDP, according to Global debt clock at The Economist.com.

The gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014 is estimated to grow by 5.98 percent over the previous year, Director General of the Vietnam General Statistics Office (GSO) Nguyen Bich Lam reported at a press conference in Hanoi on December 27.

(VOV) - Around 270 local and foreign companies are showcasing  their latest  products and services at Vietbuild Home 2014, which opened December 27 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in HCM City.

(VOV) - Vietnamese businesses have pumped more than US$1.6 billion in investment projects abroad this year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA). 

(VOV) - Following a 12 month enquiry, the European Commission (EC) has recently decided not to impose anti-subsidy duties against Vietnamese imports of polyester staple fibres (PSF), according to the Vietnam Competition Authority (VCA).

(VOV) - Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications International (VNPT) inaugurated a branch office on December 26 in Laos, joining a growing list of companies seeking a foothold in the country’s telecom industry.

(VOV) - Ten agricultural products each has an export value of more than US$1 billion include rice, coffee, rubber, cashew nut, pepper, cassava, vegetables and fruits, tra fish and forestry products.

(VOV) - Vietnamese businesses are not fully aware of technical barriers to trade, challenges and opportunities, said Duong Dinh Giam, General Director of the Industrial Policy and Research Institute at a seminar in HCM City on December 26.

Private equity investors are paying more attention to Vietnamese market and ready to put additional resources here in expectation of better long-term returns, according to the Grant Thornton global private equity report 2014-2015.

The northern province of Thai Nguyen posted an economic growth of 18.6 percent this year, 3 percent higher than the set target, and the highest annual rate ever.

Around 19,000 coffee farmers in Vietnam have adopted the international 4C (Common Code for Coffee Community) standards for sustainable production and trading with assistance from authorities and food giant Nestle.

(VOV) - Despite the global economic downturn over recent years, Vietnam’s food and beverage sector has maintained an above average annual growth rate – the highest level in Asia, most notably in Southeast Asia.

(VOV) -Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for over 95% of businesses in Hanoi and generate most of the jobs in the city, says Mac Quoc Anh, vice chairman cum general secretary of the Hanoi Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Association.

(VOV) -The Republic of Korea (RoK) is Vietnam’s largest investor for calendar year 2014, according to the latest statistics from the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA), under the Ministry of Planning and Development.

The total import turnover of Completely Built-Up (CBU) automobiles in Vietnam this year reached US$1.446 billion, which nearly matched the record level of US$1.5 billion.

(VOV) -The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade have jointly launched their national single window system. 

(VOV) - National Flag Carrier, Vietnam Airlines, launched a new – Terminal 2 – at the Noi Bai International Airport with the first flight to Singapore having departed December 25 at 10:45 with some 167 passengers on board. 

(VOV) - The Laos-Vietnam Joint Venture Bank (LaoVietBank) has broken ground on a five-storey US$4.65 million branch bank in Phonsavan commune in Xieng Khouang province in northern Laos.

(VOV) - Vietnam’s trade deficit with Thailand broadened by US$3.50 billion in the 10 months leading up to November as the country’s imports continued to outpace exports, according to the most recent statistics from Vietnam Customs. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has petitioned the State to increase export tariffs on woodchips from 0 percent to 5-10 percent, in a move to limit woodchip exports. 

The December consumer price index (CPI) fell by 0.24% from the previous month, bringing the CPI growth for the entire year down to only 1.84%, said the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The two largest card networks in Vietnam - Vietnam National Financial Switching Joint Stock Co. (Banknetvn) and Smartlink Card Services Joint Stock Company (Smartlink) – will be merged under a decision signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on December 22.

(VOV) - A world leader in thermal technology, Gentherm Inc announced on December 23 that it intends to expand its production capacity in the fast growing Asia market by opening a new manufacturing facility in the northern part of Vietnam, close to the capital city of Hanoi. 

Ministries, sectors, and localities need to seriously realise the country’s commitment to import tax reduction as agreed in signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in the 2015-2018 period.

(VOV) - E-commerce is both very new and indispensable at the same time. Since it first started gaining traction in the 1990s nearly every brick and mortar business in developed countries have developed an online sales strategy.

(VOV) - A presentation ceremony for the biennial Vietnam National Trademark Council (VNTC) awards was held December 23 in Hanoi.