(VOV) - Two-way trade between Vietnam and Singapore surged 22.4% to more than US$6.5 billion in the four months leading up to May, according to the Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS).

(VOV) -The garment and textile sector’s raw material imports jumped 20.6% in the first six months of the year toUS$7.7 billion, the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) reports.

(VOV) - The country’s imports of corn in the first six months of the year exploded to 2.33 million tonnes valued at roughly US$600 million, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has reported.

(VOV) - A leading Vietnamese trade expert suggests that Vietnam seek alternate trade partners to reduce overdependence on China, and revise cross-border trade policy with its neighbour to optimise domestic value added exports.

The Ministry of Finance is considering scrapping the rubber export tax with the aim of removing difficulties for companies amid falling latex prices and declining exports.

(VOV) -The Nhon Hoi Economic Zone (EZ) in Binh Dinh province on July 4 licensed two German and Swiss companies to jointly build a US$109 million wind power plant project.

(VOV) -Renovations got underway on July 5 at the Thac Mo hydropower plant in Binh Phuoc province to lift its capacity from 150 MW to 225 MW.

(VOV) - Vietnamese and French businesses examined the possibility of establishing partnerships in a number of areas at a recent meeting in the Val de Marne region.

(VOV) - Foreign investors from around the globe are filled to the brim with optimism over Vietnam’s economic prospects and investment opportunities in the Southeast Asian nation, according to a recent survey.

(VOV) - For the seventh consecutive year, Vietcombank has been selected the Best Trade Bank in Vietnam in the prestigious Trade Finance Magazine Asia-Pacific Awards 2014 for excellence.

(VOV) - The Can Tho municipal People’s Committee on July 4 outlined long-term goals for heightened cooperation with foreign nations at a working session with Vietnam’s overseas representative offices.

(VOV) - The financial sector should strictly control fiscal policies aiming to achieve a 5.8% economic growth target this year, and remove difficulties in production and business activities. 

(VOV) -Participants at a July 4 conference in central Nha Trang city stressed the need for the State to allocate VND5,770 billion for developing a value chain for tuna fish.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presided over a conference in Hanoi on July 3 to review the development of a socialist-oriented market economy. 

(VOV) - Ho Chi Minh City’s economy has rebounded and grown steadily with high growth rates in gross domestic product (GDP), budget collection and foreign investment attraction in the first half of this year.

(VOV) -The Vietsin Commercial Complex Development JSC (VCCD) on July 3 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the development of SC VivoCity project with the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam JSC (BIDV) and 13 other domestic and foreign counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City.

Foreign investment in the textile and garment sector is increasing rapidly as international firms seek to take advantage of the benefits Vietnam's will potentially derive when the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement comes into being.

Several Vietnamese goods have gained a firm foothold in the domestic market with 70% of Vietnamese consumers putting their trust in local goods.

Present tensions in the East Sea have created opportunities for Vietnam to adjust its economic policies with China to avoid becoming too dependent.

The 2014 Vietnam – Laos Trade Fair kicked off in Vientiane, Laos, on July 3 with the aim of helping Vietnamese businesses expand the distribution network here, paving the way for their goods to Thailand’s northeastern region.

The Vietnamese government is working on an economic development plan, targeting a faster and more sustainable economy between 2016 and 2020, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told 400 business executives at the first Forbes Vietnam business forum in Ho Chi Minh City on July 3.

(VOV) -Standard Chartered Bank (Vietnam) has received Asset Triple Awards 2014 as Best Sub-custodian and Best Fund Administrator – Retail Funds by the global financial magazine The Asset.

(VOV) -The Europe Business Assembly (EBA) on July 2 honoured Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No. 4 (CIENCO4) as among one of the ‘Best Enterprises’ at an awards ceremony in Stresa, Italy.

(VOV) - The private sector is encouraged to cooperate with governmental and non-governmental agencies throughout the nation to assist the poor generate more income and improve their livelihood.

(VOV) -Thailand’s leading retailer Central Group plans to open its Robins Department Store at Ho Chi Minh City-based Crescent Mall in November, 2014.

Vietnam’s tuna exports to the Netherlands hit nearly US$8.9 million in the first four months of this year, representing a year-on-year rise of 123%, despite an overall decrease in the European Union.

(VOV) -To achieve sustainable economic development, it is essential to have effective policies and procedures in place to facilitate businesses overcoming barriers and streamline administrative procedures that hamper them.

A delegation from the northern port city of Hai Phong is paying a working visit to Oslo city, Norway, with the aim of finding ways for Hai Phong’s goods to enter this market while promoting business chances in Hai Phong.

(VOV) - Vietnam is a highly attractive investment and tourism destination, said US ambassador to Vietnam David Shear at an July 2 ceremony in HCM City marking the 238th anniversary of US independence. 

(VOV) - Cooperation opportunities in trade and investment in Vietnam were the main focus of a seminar recently held in Christchurch city, New Zealand.