Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh on June 18 met with representatives from several European business associations to discuss measures to speed up the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Promotion Agreement (EVIPA) as part of his working visit to the EU and Belgium.

Chinese companies are accelerating investment in Vietnam, but some local businesses are voicing concerns.

China and the United States are rekindling trade talks ahead of a meeting next week between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, cheering financial markets on hopes that an escalating trade war between the two countries would abate.

At the end of May, Africa’s landmark free trade deal came into effect, accompanied by widespread optimism that it could usher in a new era of intra-African trade possibilities and prosperity for the continent’s citizens.

Beijing's proposal seen as counter move to Washington's Indo-Pacific push

Preferential export taxes offered by the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) are expected to be promulgated this month. However, the tax reduction is only one of the incentives for Vietnamese goods when entering markets, not a ‘lifesaver’ for businesses, said the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

The Americas was the fastest growing trade partner continent of Vietnam in the first five months of 2019, with expansion of over 22 percent, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The ODA National Steering Committee held a meeting with donors in Hanoi on June 17 to seek solutions to speed up the disbursement of ODA capital and preferential loans, which has showed signs of slowing down in recent years.

According to the Vietnam Poultry Association, over the past years, the poultry industry has made rapid progress. As of the end of 2018, the poultry flock saw rapid growth, numbering over 409 million. The export value of poultry products was estimated at over US$40 million.

Officials of the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) had a working session with representatives of the Chinese General Administration of Customs in Hanoi on June 18, discussing measures to boost bilateral trade of farm produce.