VOV.VN - Expansion of the nation’s gross domestic product has slowed to 5.52% in the first half of 2016 hurt by a crippling drought linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon, says the General Statistics Office.

The global leading networking solutions company, D-Link International Pte Ltd, just appointed Thuy Linh International Trade Co., Ltd. their new distributor in Vietnam, forming another strategic partnership apart from their partnership with Viscom JSC.

VOV.VN - Suoi Lon Mango Cooperative based out of the Xuan Loc District of Dong Nai Province has entered into a deal with two partners to ship mangoes to the Australian market.

VOV.VN - The US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on July 19 advised the US public by notice in the Federal Register they have prepared a pest risk analysis that has evaluated the risks associated with importation of fresh star apple fruit from Vietnam. 

Analysts have noted signs of a decrease in imports from China, while imports from the Republic of Korea rose by 7.9% in the first six months of the year.

Vietnam is becoming a hot spot for light emitting diode technology competitors.

Digital marketing has proved to be vital as a bridge bringing Vietnamese brand names to international markets, heard attendants at the Vietnam CEO Summit 2016 held in Hanoi on July 27.

Seven outstanding agriculture firms from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong joined the Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan on July 27. 

Asiana Airlines Inc.’s sale of InterContinential Asiana Saigon Hotel to Saigon Boulevard Holdings Pte. has been ranked among the Top Ten Biggest Property Real Estate Deals in Asia Pacific in the first half of 2016, according to Jones Lang Lasalle Consulting Company (JLL).

The authorities of Lam Dong province, Vietnam’s major producer of flower, fruit, and vegetables, have decided to stick logos on their agricultural products to avoid being mistaken as Chinese products.

A recent report from the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) reveals that the number of real estate transactions has stagnated and there has been a clear trend towards the high-end segment.

The Vietnam Glass and Ceramics for Construction Corporation (Viglacera) officially opened a factory producing the first made-in-Vietnam energy efficient glass in the southern province of Binh Duong on July 25. 

The domestic condiment and sauce market is offering significant room for growth, with foreign brands holding a pole position in the spice market and local firms competing to win in the sauce market share.

Following a successful 2015 and a promising first half of 2016, the Vietnamese mergers and acquisitions scene is poised to extend its momentum for the foreseeable future.

The July consumer price index (CPI) CPI rose 0.13 percent against June, 2.39 percent year on year and 2.48 percent compared to December 2015, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported on July 24. 

The Vietnamese IT industry has seen rapid development from 2010 to 2015, bringing revenue of US$7.6 billion in 2010 to US$49.5 billion in 2015, or seven times as much as 2010. 

Hanoi authorities approved a plan to construct a new hotel in September at 22-32 Le Thai To Street, formerly home to the two-storey supermarket Intimex. The approval, however, has raised eyebrows among architectural specialists.

The consumer price index (CPI) in Hanoi continued to go up in July, the seventh consecutive month of growth, the municipal Statistics Office (GSO) reported. 

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines earned a combined revenue of VND36 trillion (US$1.62 billion) in the first half of this year, accounting for 72% of the set target. 

Many cement and steel manufacturers, civil engineering and agricultural companies have added real estate development onto the lists of their strategic business fields. They have become new but powerful players in the market.

The Government's establishment of a special committee to manage capital at State-owned enterprises (SOEs) is necessary, but it is likely to face significant challenges in its work, experts said.

There would be more auctions of shares from oil and gas companies in the second half of 2016 under the directives of the Government on equitisation of State-owned enterprises.

The flexible implementation of monetary policy from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) contributed to stabilising the financial market from the beginning of this year. 

VOV.VN - Vinamilk has begun selling a select number of its condensed milk and creamer products in the US under the brand name Driftwood, according to an announcement posted on the company’s website. 

In Vietnam, South East Asia's largest market, brewers spend hundreds of billions of dong to hire promotion girls to serve marketing campaigns.

Central Group Vietnam has confirmed that Central Group is 100% owned by a Thai family and that other information about the owner of Big C Vietnam was fabricated.

VOV.VN - In this age of globalization, Vietnam faces a lot of competition from other nations for tourism, export, new business and investment opportunities, said Dr Nguyen Quoc Thinh.

The prices of green robusta coffee beans in the Central Highlands have risen to VND37.6- 38.3 million (US$1,671-1,702) per tonne this week, up according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

Local steel firms have recorded upbeat business results in the first half of this year on account of steady demand and an unexpected market rebound.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the French Development Agency (AFD) have jointly held a workshop to map out development orientations for the microfinance sector in Vietnam.