It has become an annoying habit for American politicians to air their “concern” about human rights in Vietnam. The latest episode has many Congressmen grappling with a vexing question: Should Vietnam be part of the US-led 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP] – touted as the “most progressive free trade agreement in our nation’s history” by President Barack Obama, given Vietnam’s human rights record?

HA NOI (VNS)— Viet Nam is the second largest textile and garment exporter to South Korea, making up one-fourth of South Korea's garment market, after China. South Korea imported US$627.4 million in textiles and garments from Viet Nam in the first four months of this year, according to the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas). The turnover marks an increase of 8.25 per cent over the same period last year.

The fate of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade and investment pact may be known as early as next Wednesday, United States time, after a vote in Congress endorsed the elusive "fast-track authority" President Barack Obama needs if the 12-nation negotiation is to be concluded successfully.

HA NOI (VNS) — Tra fish export turnover this year would be US$1.7 billion, posting a four per cent year-on-year drop due to difficulties in imported markets and tighter regul-ations. The Viet Nam Association of Seafoods Exporters and Producers (VASEP), quoting statistics from the General Department of Customs, said that for the four months to May 15, the total export revenue of tra fish fell 9.3 per cent from the same period last year to $544.8 million.

The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership is a regional trade agreement with 12 countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. All of these countries are current members of the World Trade Organization, which compels them to uniform trading rules and lowering of tariff barriers. The U.S. already has established free trade agreements with six of these 11 trading partners (Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Singapore).

It may seem like a small market, but its value and growth potential means there’s more to the region than meets the eye. Korea’s trade ministry started free trade talks with six Central American nations in the U.S. city of Houston on Thursday, local time. If sealed Korea will be the first Asian country to have an FTA with the six Central American countries giving Korean products an edge over rival exporters like Japan and China.

India will sign a free trade agreement with Eurasian Economic Union (EEU or EAEU) to boost trade and economic ties with the region, according to media reports. "We are definitely signing this agreement", Amit Telang, first secretary of India’s embassy in Russia told a news agency in Moscow. The agreement will be signed at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2015).

“The involvement of the private sector must be through participation in analysis and decision making as well as in overseeing the implementation of trade facilitation measures.” – Nazaire Pare, Director General for Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, Burkina Faso

The World Trade Organization (WTO) announced on June 11, 2015, that 66 developing and least-developed country members have now submitted notifications to the WTO outlining which provisions of the new Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) they intend to implement upon entry into force of the pact.

HA NOI (VNS) — While exports were identified as a solution for the cement industry to deal with oversupply at home, there remains stiff competition from large producers, such as China, Thailand and Indonesia. Statistics showed that cement and clinker exports in the first five months dropped by 24 per cent over the same period last year to 5.8 million tonnes. The Ministry of Construction said that cement exports to many markets were not as large this year, especially to Bangladesh – the biggest importer of Vietnamese cement last year.