VOV.VN - Vietnam's total import-export turnover enjoyed a surge of 5.1% to US$543.9 billion compared to 2019 despite facing numerous difficulties throughout 2020, with the country posting a trade surplus of US$19.1 billion, the highest level for five consecutive years since 2016, according to the General Statistics Office.

Vietnam needs to increase policies to promote the development of the domestic mechanical engineering industry and enable local manufacturers to compete with foreign competitors.

A plenary meeting of the International Support Group (ISG), themed “Vietnam agriculture and rural development in the context of COVID-19: Opportunities and Challenges”, took place in Hanoi on December 11.

A forum on the linkage and investment opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) was held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 9 as part of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises (USAID LinkSME) project.

VOV.VN - The Vietnam International Supporting Industry and Manufacturing Exhibition 2020, the first of its kind, got underway in Hanoi on December 9 with over 170 domestic and foreign businesses taking part in the event’s debut.

VOV.VN - Ho Chi Minh City will work alongside economic experts to devise orientations for a new bailout package, with local firms hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic expected to receive the package with interest rates of 0%, according to Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the HCM City People's Committee.

Companies in the supporting industry will get an interest rate subsidy from next year in an effort to promote the development of the part-supply industry, said Pham Tuan Anh, Deputy Director of the Industry Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) co-organised a launch ceremony for the “Supporting Enterprises’ Digital Transformation from 2021 to 2025” programme in Hanoi on December 3.

The International Support Group’s Plenary Meeting for 2020 will be held on December 11 to promote global cooperation to support agricultural and rural development in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VOV.VN - Firms operating in the electronics and supporting industries have been advised to be well-prepared for a fresh investment wave from Europe in the hi-tech field, according to insiders.