Vietnam’s uneven industrialisation experience reveals the limits of a pro-international trade and pro-FDI strategy, says academic Guanie Lim. To move beyond the role of assembler and connector, it could adopt some of China’s approaches.

Dairy and feed grain access remain sticking points in early deal.

Some overseas Vietnamese firms, such as KD Trading, have boldly imported ST25 rice, helping to boost brand awareness in Canada. Việt Nam has now entered the list of the top five rice exporters to the Canadian market.

Despite holding potential, bilateral trade between Vietnam and Lithuania remains modest, averaging just US$100-150 million annually.

Malaysia has expressed its readiness to negotiate in four key areas: addressing the US’s reported 24.8 billion USD trade deficit with Malaysia, removing non-tariff barriers, strengthening protections for technology and national security, and exploring the possibility of a bilateral trade agreement.

Despite steep US tariffs, Vietnam remains a magnet for foreign investment, particularly in manufacturing and industrial real estate, bolstered by competitive policy incentives, upgraded infrastructure, and its pivotal role in global supply chain diversification from China.

The upcoming ‘upgrade’ to the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 – set to be signed in October 2025 – is expected to be a ‘game changer’ for businesses wishing to enter the Chinese market as the new pact will focus on the digital, green economies and supply chain cooperation.

Following Britain, China has struck a trade deal with the US, President Donald Trump has announced. Meanwhile, the EU is still pondering its way out of tariff hell, and US officials make clear it is back of the line.

Vietnamese seafood exports may stay at the US$10 billion mark this year in the best-case scenario, provided the US removes reciprocal tariffs on Vietnamese goods after July 9, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).

The trade war triggered by US tariff policies is expected to persist, causing businesses to adopt a “wait and see” approach, several Thai experts have said.