A cooperation programme to help businesses to optimise advantages from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) through the Vietnam-EU e-commerce platform made debut in Hanoi on March 26.

Vietnamese GDP growth is anticipated to expand 7.1% this year, to be driven by strong exports and foreign investment attraction, according to the Quarterly Global Outlook 2021 recently released by the United Oversea Bank (UOB).

Vietnam aims to become the second largest economy in Southeast Asia by 2030 thanks to its sound economic performance, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said.

The federal government has hit a roadblock in its bid to haul China over the coals at the World Trade Organisation for Beijing’s ban on Australian barley exports, after the push became collateral damage in a spat between the US and Venezuela.

The latest statistics of the General Department of Customs show that the total import and export value of Vietnam from March 1 to 15 reached US$26.36 billion, increased by22% (equivalent to US$4.76 billion) compared to the second half of February 2021.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) could bring substantial benefits to Vietnam’s exports thanks to easier rules of origin compared to other free trade agreements, mostly apparel, farm produce, and aquatic products, experts have said.

China is encouraging the early implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and members of the Asia-Pacific trade pact aim for it to take effect from Jan. 1, 2022, Wang Shouwen, China’s vice commerce minister, said on Thursday.

The Philippines has expressed its intention to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Chinese President Xi Jinping made global headlines at the APEC summit on 20 November 2020 by announcing that China was considering joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held phone talks with Chilean President Sebastian Piñera on March 24 to discuss orientations and specific measures to enhance the Vietnam-Chile comprehensive partnership as the two nations are celebrating the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties (March 25, 1971-2021).