Seafood exporters consider Egypt as a potential market as its demand is forecast to rise by 10 percent over the next five years, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The Central Committee of the Vietnamese Young Entrepreneurs Organisation (VYEO) on May 15 launched a programme to select the 2008 Vietnam Golden Star awards.

Vietnam plans to increase exports to the Middle East and South Asia to US$2.3 billion this year, an increase of 33 percent compared to last year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Over the past few days, the price of cement in the domestic market has seen a dramatic price spike defying the Government’s measures to curb price rises.

More than 150 Vietnamese garment, textile, footwear and chemical manufacturers attended a seminar in Hanoi on May 14 to discuss the European Union regulation on the use of chemicals in manufacturing.

Vietnam’s third international exhibition on nuclear power opened in Hanoi on May 14 in the hope of gaining a wealth of experience in nuclear power plant construction.

If Vietnam does not devise proper measures to improve the nature of the industry the economic efficiency will be limited, despite its huge export value and high growth rate.

The Prime Minister has approved the Da Nang and Chu Lai international airport projects in Da Nang City and Quang Nam province, both in Central Vietnam from now until 2015 with a vision for 2025.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has set higher targets for the country’s rubber exports and will expand the sector’s markets beyond China which is currently the biggest buyer of Vietnam’s unprocessed rubber products.

Vietnamese people seemed to be rushing to buy cars before a possible further price hike. As many as 13,271 units were sold last month, breaking the previous month’s record of 13,081 units and showing an increase of 183 percent year on year.

A workshop on “Vietnam’s banking system and WTO commitments: assessment and prospects” has affirmed that orientations for economic development and the banking system commensurate with the market economy’s development regulations.

The Dung Quat Oil Refinery, the first of its kind in Vietnam, will be put into operation to produce its major products in February 2009, says Truong Van Tuyen, head of the refinery management board.

The value of trade between Vietnam and Europe will surge this year, but the European market is still challenging enough for Vietnamese traders, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The current process of international integration and increased competition has seen a rise in the number of trade disputes and Vietnam’s experience in dealing with this kind of issue remains limited. Settling disputes through commercial arbitrators has become popular and has been proven effective.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Cam Tu has refuted rumours that the Government will adjust petrol prices, sparking off a buying spree among the population over the past few days.

Almost all of Vietnam’s agricultural exports now have an advantage in the world market, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) and its Russian partner have won a bid to buy an oil field with a large reserve in the north of Russia, according to Tran Ngoc Canh, the company’s general director.

Vietnam strives to produce 1.2 million tonnes of natural rubber in 2020, said Tran Thi Thuy Hoa, General Secretary of the Vietnam Rubber Association (VRA) at the International Conference on Natural Rubber Extension and Development held in Kochi, India from May 8-9.

The Vietnamese Embassy in China and the East Asia Investment Forum-China co-hosted a seminar on May 10 introducing Vietnam's investment and trade environment.

Construction of Vietnam’s second oil refinery complex worth US$6 billion began in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa on May 10 by contractors from Vietnam, Japan and Kuwait.

The third international nuclear power exhibition will take place at the Cultural and Friendship Palace in Hanoi from May 14-17, the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VAEI) announced on May 10.

The Philips Carbon Black Company of the Indian RPG signed an agreement in Ho Chi Minh City on May 9 with three companies of the Vietnam National Chemical Corporation to build a black coal plant.

Entrepreneurs from the German state of Sachsen-Anhalt want to do business in Vietnam following their recent trips to the Southeast Asian country to explore investment opportunities, says Governor of the state Wolfgang Boehmer.

Trade ties between Vietnam and the US have grown and flourished since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1995 and implemented the 2001 bilateral trade agreement, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Vietnam will build its first nuclear power plants, with a design capacity of 4,000 MW, at Phuoc Dinh and Vinh Hai in the southcentral province of Ninh Thuan from 2012-2014, said Vuong Huu Tan, Head of the Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission.

A US$10-billion project on Phu Quoc island, financed by US and Canadian investors, will be licensed in 2008, said Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Truong Van Doan.

According to a report from the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM), GDP growth and export turnover in 2008 will increase by 7.2 percent and 26.2 percent, respectively while the trade deficit will be equivalent to 17.3 percent of GDP.

The exhibition is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors and turnover from co-operative contracts will reach US$30 million.

The Singapore-based Templeton Asset Management Ltd has begun operations in Vietnam after getting approval from the State Securities Commission (SSC).

The Lu Gia Mechanical Electric Company plans to earn net revenue of VND120 billion this year, a year-on-year increase of 56.4 percent, resulting in an after-tax profit of VND30 billion and allowing a dividend payment ratio of 17 percent.