Vietnam Morning News For March 6

USS Carl Vinson: World’s Largest Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Vietnam (video)
When the USS Carl Vinson and its accompanying escort vessels berthed in Danang on the Vietnam central coast earlier today its arrival was symbolic on many fronts.
— AEC News Today (video)

Developing domestic automobile industry to counter imports
Increasing the value of domestic production and promoting the automobile supporting industry must not depend on foreign direct investment (FDI) firms.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Brand building for Vietnamese textile and garment business
Despite being seen as one of the leading textile and garment exporters in the world, Vietnamese garment and textile products have brought low retail values.
— Nhan Dan Online

First duty-free cars arrive in Vietnam from Thailand
Over 2,000 Honda cars from Thailand — the first batches of cars to enjoy zero percent import duty under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) — have been imported to Vietnam.
— The Jakarta Post

Vietnam likely to export 6.5 million tonnes of rice in 2018
Vietnam may export 6.5 million tonnes of rice in 2018, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan.
— VietnamPlus

State Treasury to issue VND200 trillion-worth bonds in 2018
The State Treasury of Vietnam plans to issue bonds worth VND200 trillion (US$8.8 billion) in 2018, a much higher value than last year.
— Nhan Dan Online

Vietnam Digest: Foreign investors pour $1.45b into BFSI; World Bank launches $102m project
Vietnam’s financial sector has attracted investments to the tune of $1.45 billion from foreign investors in the first two months of the year while World Bank has launched a $102 million project with Vietnam’s trade ministry to support industrial enterprises.
— DealStreetAsia

Imported cars continue to penetrate Vietnam despite highly restrictive law
Several car companies in Vietnam have imported or been prepared to import a large number of cars despite their protestation that a regulation imposed by the Vietnamese government has militated against the purchase of such vehicles from abroad.
— Tuoi Tre

Export value of fruit and vegetables increases
The export value of fruit and vegetables reached US$620 million in the first two months of 2018, up 47.6% annually, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
— Nhan Dan Online

Vietnam: Techcombank targets at least $162m from treasury share sale to foreign investors
The Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) plans to list its shares on Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE) this year and sell over 158 million treasury shares to foreign investors, its Chairman Ho Hung Anh said at the firm’s annual shareholders’ meeting on March 3.
— DealStreetAsia

Vietnam resolves to make EU lift ‘yellow card’ on seafood
The Vietnamese agency assigned to the oversight of the food industry has been implementing various stringent measures in an effort to have the ‘yellow card’ by the European Commission (EC) rescinded.
— Tuoi Tre

Quang Tri to build 600 billion VND hydropower plant
The People’s Committee of the central province of Quang Tri has decided to build a hydropower plant worth nearly 600 billion VND (26.4 million USD) in Huong Hoa district.
— VietnamPlus

Services make up high proportion in banks’ profits
Income from services in most of commercial banks skyrocketed by 35 percent yearly on average in the 2015-2017 period, financial reports from the banks showed.
— The Hanoi Times

Retail stores lose out to convenience stores
Convenience stores such as Circle K or Vinmart can be found everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Vietnam files complaint with WTO over US solar tariffs
The Vietnamese authorities have submitted a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to request formal consultations with Washington over its recently announced 30% tariff on crystalline silicon PV imports.
— pv magazine

Thailand’s Nawaplastic seeks additional 29.51% stake in Vietnam’s Binh Minh Plastic
The Nawaplastic Industries (Saraburi), a subsidiary of Thailand’s Siam Cement Group (SCG), has registered to buy an additional 29.51 per cent stake in Vietnamese plastic producer Binh Minh Plastic JSC (BMP), lifting its ownership to nearly 50 per cent, according to Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE).
— DealStreetAsia

Bangladesh and Vietnam aim to raise trade to $2 bln by 2020
Bangladesh and Vietnam aim to raise their two-way annual trade to $2 billion over the next three years from nearly $1 billion, a business association official said on Monday.
— Reuters

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