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Japan Lends 40B Yen and Funds Chip Research
After To Lam’s visit to Tokyo, Japan has made commitments to lend more than ¥40 billion ($252 million) for education and energy projects. Japan and Vietnam are also going to put ¥2.6 billion and VND67 billion into 11 semiconductor research projects. Lam proposed lifting bilateral trade to $80 billion by 2030, which is an ambitious increase from today’s figures - reports are that $43.7 billion of good traded hands through the first three quarters of this year. Another joint call for AI and semiconductor research proposals will be coming early next year.
Read more: VnExpress (joint statement), Finance Biggo (loans), VnEconomy (chip research), VnEconomy (talks), VnExpress (visit)
US Pushes IP Tariff Decision to February
The US has delayed its decision on new tariffs that are meant to be based on Vietnam's intellectual property record by three months to February 28. The US Trade Representative said the case is “complicated” and needs more time. Vietnam is the first jurisdiction in 13 years to end up in the most serious US watchlist category. Exporters are currently on the hook to pay a 12.5 percent duty after Washington came to the conclusion that Hanoi was doing too little to stop the use of imported goods made with forced labor. Tesla and Samsung stand oppose to new duties; US steel, seafood, plywood, solar and wood producers are pressing for them.
Read more: Reuters
Ministry Warns of Tight Power in 2027-2028
Power supply is expected to tighten through 2027 and 2028, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has warned. Consumption is expected to grow about 10 percent, but new baseload plants that need to come online are running behind schedule. The transmission corridor from central Vietnam to the north is already at its 5,000 to 5,200 MW ceiling. Northern peak demand was 30,248 MW in 2026 and is forecast to climb much higher in 2027. Delays to 500 kV substations in Bac Ninh, Thai Binh and Hai Phong could make summer evenings especially dicey, and 30 of 48 reservoirs “may” fall short of normal water levels.
Read more: Vietnam Insiders (EVN investment), VnEconomy (peak load record)
Central Bank to Buy Dollars Twice a Week
The State Bank of Vietnam says that it will buy dollars from banks at VND25,500 every Monday and Wednesday to get more dong into the financial system. Banks with positive foreign currency positions will be able to sell, and no trade limits have been announced. The central bank is also “encouraging” lenders to cut annual rates on new deposits of six months or more by 0.5 to 1 percent. Listed rates at state-owned banks have already dropped about half a point.
Read more: Tuoitre (purchase mechanics), VnExpress (exchange rates)
Ten Percent Growth Target for 2027
The National Assembly has approved a 2027 plan targeting GDP growth of at least 10 percent, GDP per person of $6,100 and an inflation rate of about four and a half percent. Lawmakers are working to raise foreign ownership limits in sectors that don’t affect national security, bring lending rates down, and steer credit toward production. They also want to rein in provinces that are chasing airports, seaports, data centers and free trade zones without the benefit of “sensible” plans. Who decides what counts as “sensible” was not disclosed.
Read more: VnExpress
Hanoi Beats Farm-Buying Target; DC Wants More
Washington is asking Hanoi to buy another billion dollars of US farm goods annually as the two sides wrangle a reciprocal trade deal, U.S. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden said. Hanoi bought about $3.6 billion of US agricultural products through the first 10 months of 2026 (for some reason that remains unexplained, that figure excludes about $1.4 billion of cotton - if you know why it was broken down like that, send us an email), easily beating purchase agreements that were worth about $3 billion from 2025 through 2027. Deputy Agriculture Minister Dang Ngoc Diep said that every agreement has been fulfilled. US beef imports tripled in the first eight months from a year earlier, even though boneless cuts have a 14 percent tariff. Diep wants US market access for passion fruit and approval of a hot vapor treatment for fresh fruit exports.
Read more: VnEconomy (food safety), VnExpress (farm imports)
Pandora Opens $150M HCMC Factory
Pandora has opened a $150 million factory in Ho Chi Minh City, its first foray into production outside of Thailand. The Danish jewelry maker says the plant will become the world's largest fine jewelry factory, churning out 60 million pieces a year and lifting the group's production capacity by half. Pandora also raised its annual outlook after third-quarter organic growth of 6 percent.
Read more: Fashion Network
Foreign Investment in HCMC Up 4x+
Foreign investment in Ho Chi Minh City has more than quadrupled since its merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Nearly $9.8 billion went into 1,726 newly licensed projects, while existing projects added $5.7 billion in registered capital. Big bets include the Can Gio International Transshipment Port, worth more than $4.9 billion, and a $2.1 billion AI Factory data center. Vice chairman Nguyen Loc Ha said the city is trying to connect foreign investors with domestic suppliers. Local business registrations are moving the other way, however as new company registrations slipped about 6 percent from a year earlier, and registered capital plunged nearly three-fifths.
Read more: VnExpress
Tax Holiday Offer for Giant Tourism Projects
The government is asking legislators to approve generous tax holidays and 70-year operating terms for giant tourism projects. A “catalyst” project worth at least VND10 trillion would be able to pay corporate income tax as low as 10 percent through a five-year pilot, and “strategic” projects (starting at VND30 trillion) could qualify to pay no corporate income tax for up to four years. The draft also proposes entertainment zones be open around the clock, 24/7. Tourism Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh is betting (pun intended?) that the industry will be able to help drive double-digit growth. Casinos, gaming, betting, and real estate would not be eligible for any of the perks under the current proposals.
Read more: VnExpress
Carbon Market Draft Sets 2029 Quota Auctions
Facilities that pump out 3,000 tons or more of carbon dioxide equivalent a year would be required to track their greenhouse gases under recent draft rules from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Regulators would allocate quotas through 2028 and start auctions in 2029. Under the proposed rules, the regulator would be able to change auction timing/ volume or draw on reserves if prices fluctuate too much of if supply falls badly out of balance. Provinces would decide which facilities are covered. A pilot covering thermal power, steel and cement plants is already under way, but it is apparently struggling with inconsistent data.
Read more: VnEconomy
Shopee, TikTok Shop Take Almost All Online Sales
Shopee and TikTok Shop hoovered up nearly 98 percent of third-quarter sales on the four big online marketplaces. Shopee's gross merchandise value edged up to VND74.4 trillion ($2.9 billion), and TikTok Shop's jumped three-fifths to VND70.1 trillion ($2.7 billion). Sales across all four platforms was VND411.7 trillion ($15.8 billion) through Q3, up more than a fifth. Nearly 400,000 shops reported sales in Q3 itself, which is about 10% fewer than a year earlier. Average sales per active seller rose on every platform, led by a gain of more than half at TikTok Shop. The face of retail continues to change…
Read more: VnEconomy
Tourist Arrivals Close In on Thailand's Lead
Vietnam welcomed about 1.13 million Russian visitors in the first nine months, more than double the 430,000 reported a year earlier as more direct flights were introduced. For comparison, Thailand received about 1.27 million Russians, almost exactly the same number as the year before. Overall, Vietnam pulled in 19.5 million international visitors from January through October, compared with Thailand's 25.4 million. The gap has closed significantly since 2019, when Thailand welcomed 39.9 million visitors and Vietnam received 18 million.
Read more: Tuoitre
Long Thanh Airport Service Projects Slip to Opening Day
Four of six catering, ground handling and maintenance projects at Long Thanh airport are still under basic construction after blowing through an August 31 “deadline.” The aviation regulator (losing patience?), wants to move the ”deadline” again to December 24, which is the day the airport operator plans to open. It says there will be no further extensions. The opening plan is due to be sent to the Ministry of Construction by Wednesday next week, November 18.
Read more: VnEconomy (opening plan), VnExpress (delays)
That's all for this week, thanks for reading. Your voice matters to us. Feel we're missing something? Have additional sources to suggest? Don't hold back- hit reply and tell us what you think.
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