The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) on March 19 led a delegation of 28 Australian agriculture and food enterprises to Ho Chi Minh City to attend a Vietnam-Australia trade and investment forum.

VOV.VN - The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, in coordination with the Vietnam Culinary Conservation, Research and Development Centre, on March 19 unveiled the fourth Vietnam Bread Festival 2026, to showcase the global culinary value of Vietnamese bánh mì (bread) and its growing international appeal.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s total import–export turnover reached US$41.23 billion in the first half of March, with exports rising 13.2% year on year to US$20.3 billion, according to preliminary data released by Vietnam Customs on March 18.

Vietnam’s chain coffee has secured a position among Southeast Asia’s leading market, ranking third by value at an estimated US$725 million and posting one of the region’s fastest growth rates at 27%.

First Secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Cuba and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez has praised the rice cultivation project run by Vietnam’s Agri-VMA company in Los Palacios district, Pinar del Rio province.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s seafood exports opened 2026 on a strong note, driven by a 20% rise in shrimp revenue to US$690 million, with lobster emerging as the standout performer, soaring 65% to US$259 million year on year.

Container freight rates are beginning to rise in Vietnam as geopolitical tensions and surging fuel costs disrupt global maritime transport, increasing pressure on shipping lines and logistics markets and signalling further volatility ahead.

The Ministry of Construction has proposed a range of measures to stabilise transport operations and logistics costs, as conflict in the Middle East is disrupting international aviation and shipping routes and pushing up global fuel prices.

Vietnamese company Alterno outpaced nearly 500 applicants from 79 countries to crash the top 15 at the SET Award 2026 ceremony in Berlin on March 17, an annual recognition of leading startups driving the sustainable energy transition.

Sixteen out of 18 national “.vn” domain names offered in the first auction session on March 18 were successfully sold. Auctions will continue on March 19 and 20, with 16 domain names available each day.

VOV.VN - The international shrimp and aquaculture trade shows Vietshrimp Asia 2026 and Aquaculture Vietnam 2026 opened in Ho Chi Minh City on March 18, attracting nearly 200 companies from 20 countries and territories to showcase smart aquaculture technologies and AI-driven solutions.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s seafood sector is seeing strong export growth in early 2026 but faces pressure from the EU’s IUU yellow card, costs and climate change, requiring faster adjustment to sustain competitiveness.

Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 441/QD-TTg approving a plan to implement Vietnam’s orientation for mobilising, managing and utilising official development assistance (ODA) and foreign concessional loans in the 2026–2030 period.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China rose sharply in the first two months of 2026, while shipments to the United States and the Republic of Korea (RoK) dropped, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) reported on March 18.

Vietnam’s coffee and tea chain market is valued at more than US$1.3 billion, making it the third largest in Southeast Asia after Indonesia and Thailand, according to Singapore-based venture capital firm Momentum Works.

The Vietnam Trade Office in the US, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) held talks with the US National Fisheries Institute (NFI) representatives on March 16 to address regulatory challenges for seafood exports to the US, especially the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Vietnamese Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang held talks with Liu Jun, President, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Hanoi on March 17 to discuss prospects for expanding bilateral economic cooperation, particularly in the financial and banking sectors.

VOV.VN - The Vietnam SPS Office said WTO members on March 17 issued 104 notifications related to sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, including 65 draft measures and 39 in force, focusing on tightening import standards for agricultural and food products.

VOV.VN - Vietnam is emerging as one of the world’s most dynamic markets in branded residences, supported by active participation from international hotel brands and rising demand from domestic customers, French financial magazine Le Revenu reported on March 17.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s property market is a bright spot in Southeast Asia’s strong rebound thanks to strong economic growth and a shift of smart capital into new segments such as digital infrastructure and industrial assets. Total real estate transactions in the region reached US$21.8 billion in 2025.

Crude oil supplies for domestic refineries have been maintained, and petrol supplies for the coming months remain secure, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said while chairing a meeting in Hanoi on March 17 with the task force for energy security.

Viettel Group has partnered with NVIDIA to develop a sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem in Vietnam, focusing on high-performance computing infrastructure and the development of Vietnamese AI foundation models.

Representatives from businesses and industry associations met in Ho Chi Minh City on March 17 to discuss measures to ease pressures on production and trade, and stablise the domestic market amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The 35th Vietnam International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo 2026), one of the country’s most prestigious and long-established events of its kind, will be held from April 8 – 11 at the Vietnam Exposition Centre in Hanoi's Dong Anh commune.

VOV.VN - The State needs to build a national strategic petroleum reserve system, as most petroleum reserves in Vietnam are currently held by key traders under commercial obligations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a dispatch outlining a series of tasks and solutions to accelerate export growth in 2026 amid mounting global uncertainties.

Vietnam Airlines announced on March 17 that it will change its operating terminals at several international airports starting from late March in a move to improve service quality, enhance passenger experience and support its goal of becoming a five-star international airline by 2030.

A delegation from the Thai Embassy in Vietnam led by Ambassador Urawadee Sriphiromya paid a working visit to Phu Tho and attended a seminar exploring investment opportunities in the northern province on March 16.

Deposit interest rates across many terms, particularly medium and long terms, have continued to rise over the past week as banks compete to attract savings.

Vietnam and Switzerland have reaffirmed their determination to speed up negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), aiming to largely wrap up discussions during the 20th negotiation round in Hanoi, officials said on March 16.