(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.

Authorities, business groups and companies need to cooperate closely to keep out fake products during the upcoming festive season, a conference heard on December 23 in Ho Chi Minh City.

(VOV) - Vietnam’s seafood exports increased 18% on-year to US$7.9 billion for the 12 months leading up to 2015, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), buoyed by record high shrimp exports to the US market.

(VOV) - The IWCC Co, Ltd and Premier United Investment Fund from the US signed a strategic partnership contract in Ho Chi Minh City on December 22 to inject investment capital into Vietnamese businesses in the coming time. 

(VOV) - From hand-made to high tech, the 2014 Vietnam-China border trade and tourism fair has kicked off in Dongxing city in Guangxi, China with nearly 500 participating exhibitors.

(VOV) -Vietnam needs to promote its international economic integration by joining global value chains, to improve national competitiveness, told a seminar in Hanoi on December 23.

The Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Holding Corporation (Vinacomin) aims to produce 38 million tonnes of coal in 2015, generating VND57 trillion (US$2.7 billion).

Two-way trade between Vietnam and India is on an upward trend and likely to reach the target of US$15 billion by 2020, said Vo Tan Thanh, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City branch of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of more than US$474 million in the first half of December.

The agro-forestry-fisheries sector is forecast to bring home US$30.8 billion from export this year, up 11.2% from 2013 despite lacklustre demand in markets all over the world.