When joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Vietnamese enterprises should understand international trade laws and customs as well as trade disputes to avoid risks to their business activities, said Mr Tran Huu Huynh, head of the Legal Department under the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (Vinashin) has submitted to the government a project to build and run a marine express North-South transport route with a total investment of nearly US$1.2 billion sourced from state bonds, loans and the company’s own capital.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, many corporations are operating in high-risk areas, which need to be considered seriously. For the national economy to overcome its current difficulties and maintain its sustainable development, capital investment by state corporations must be audited and inspected.

Over the past two months, the price of Tra fish – one of Vietnam’s major seafood exports – has fallen dramatically, causing a big worry for breeders in the Mekong River delta. Many fear that they will incur heavy losses during this year’s fishing season if they do not find a long-term solution.

There will be no major fluctuations in the market in the second half of this year following good signals in the economy during June, said Hoang Tho Xuan, head of the Domestic Trade Policy Department.

The country’s industrial output is estimated to have reached US$19.8 billion in the first half of the year, an increase of 16.5 percent over the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

The World Bank has approved plans to grant Vietnam two International Development Association (IDA) loans totalling US$320 million.

To boost revenues of seafood exports and get seafood processing plants operating at fully-capacity, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Producers and Exporters (VASEP) has officially proposed that the Government import US$1.5-2 billion worth of unprocessed seafood each year.

SJC gold prices on June 27 rose by VND300,000 per tael compared to June 26 transactions, reaching around VND19 million per tael, according to Saigon Jewelry Company (SJC).

Cacao growers from Southeast Asian countries gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on June 26 to find ways to enhance cooperation and develop the cacao industry in the region.

In the second half this year, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) will continue to control interest and exchange rates, and meet the economy’s demand for capital and foreign currencies.

Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has adopted a scheme to develop its tourism that aims to double revenue and hit VND46 trillion by 2010.

The Government’s strong measures to rein in runaway inflation have paid off, with the consumer price index (CPI) increasing by only 2.14 percent in June as compared to a record high of 3.91 percent in May, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

Japan’s Information Technology Festival 2008 will be held in Hanoi from September 18-19, said Phan Tan Cong, General Secretary of the Vietnam Software Association (VINASA) at a press conference in Hanoi on June 26.

A seminar entitled “Vietnam-trade gate in Asia” has been held in Santiago, Chile by the Vietnamese and Chilean ministries of foreign affairs to highlight business opportunities in Vietnam.

As Vietnam is facing a number of difficulties and challenges due to high inflation and import surplus, it is important and necessary to research how to use capital effectively to ensure infrastructure development.

The Finance Ministry has released a list of thousands of imports from ASEAN countries that will enjoy tax reduction during the 2008-2013 period.

Leading transport industry professionals from around the world will arrive in the capital city to attend the Viet Traffic 2008 from October 15-17.

After matching coal production to domestic demands, the Vietnam National Coal Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) said the country will be short of 10.8-11 million tonnes per year on average during the period 2012-2017.

First Secretary of the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, Jin Kimoto, has affirmed that Japan is willing to assist Vietnam in developing seaports and improve seaport management capacity.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has banned individuals and institutions from organising stock transaction floors illegally in order to strengthen the management of the stock market and ensure its sustainable growth.

The Vietnam-China technology and equipment friendship trade fair (Techmart Lang Son 2008) will be held in the northern border province of Lang Son in late August.

Although Vietnam has been a crude oil exporter for the past 20 years the oil refinery industry is still very much in its infancy. At present, 100 percent of petroleum on the domestic market is imported.

According to preliminary statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), this year’s rice output is estimated to reach around 37 million tonnes, one million tonnes more than last year.

The Vietnam-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council held a regular meeting in Washington from June 18-20.

Hanoi’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the first half of this year grew by an estimated 10.9 percent compared to one year ago, reported the municipal People’s Committee.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) capital reached US$31.6 billion in the first half of this year - the highest figure so far, said the deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Cao Viet Sinh, on June 21.

More than 50 businesses from Vietnam and Egypt have participated in a recent conference on trade promotion between the two countries in Cairo, Egypt.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) launched a campaign in Ho Chi Minh City on June 20 to promote the East Asian country’s tourism in Vietnam.

Though costs are rising in Vietnam, many of the country’s fundamental advantages remain, said a director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).