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Vietnam to collaborate with Belarus, Russia to make cars, trucks


Thanh Nien News

HO CHI MINH CITY - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 08:36

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An automobile factory in Vietnam. Photo: Hua Xuyen Huynh

The Vietnamese government is looking to collaborate with Russia and Belarus in automobile manufacturing in an apparent effort to boost the local auto industry.

The governments finished talks on the collaboration last week and are expected to ink official agreements some time between the end of next month and the beginning of March, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reported on Monday.
According to the plans, Vietnamese automakers will join hands with foreign companies such as KAMAZ, GAZ, UAZ and MAZ to set up joint-ventures here to produce and assemble vehicles such as trucks, cars with more than 10 seats, and off-road cars.

Their products will also be exported to Southeast Asian countries to enjoy a tariff-free policy that will take effect in 2018, it said.

The joint-ventures will be first allowed to import complete units tax-free to sell in Vietnam. After learning more about the local market, they will then bring in parts for assembly, also free of tax.

In return, foreign manufacturers are obliged to provide technical support for local parts suppliers. The goal is to increase the ratio of local parts and components in their products to 35 percent in 2020, and 45 percent in 2026, it said.

Vietnam's auto industry has for years failed to live up to the high expectations set for it after many favorable policies. Critics said after decades of government support, the industry mostly does assembly work for foreign companies, with the use of local parts and components remaining painfully low.





Renault eyes Vietnam expansion

Last update 07:30 | 19/01/2016
VietNamNet Bridge – French-backed car maker Renault may build a factory to directly manufacture cars in Vietnam in order to benefit from slashed import tariffs within the ASEAN Economic Community.


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Renault may plan to manufacture cars in Vietnam to take advantage of the AEC’s slashed import tariffs

Xavier Coiffard, general director of France’s Auto Motors Vietnam, the exclusive importer of Renault cars in the country, told VIR that “it is likely that Renault will consider directly manufacturing cars in Vietnam in the medium term.”

Under the ASEAN Trade and Goods Agreement, the import tariff will drop from 50 per cent in 2015 to 40 per cent in 2016 for 77 per cent of tariff lines on completely built-up (CBU) automobiles imported from ASEAN countries into Vietnam.

These tariff lines will fall to 30 per cent in 2017 and 0 per cent in 2018.

“Currently, Renault has no manufacturing facilities in ASEAN. However, we are planning to build a factory in the region in order to benefit from tariff incentives,” Coiffard said, stressing that “Vietnam is expected to be selected for the location of this factory. Renault will also open new dealerships and offer more after-sale services.”

Over the past five years, Renault has been exporting cars to Vietnam, reporting a significant growth in revenue. Last year, it sold over 150 units, with a year-on-year 30 per cent rise in revenue.

Currently, Renault has seven showrooms in Vietnam marketing six car models including Koleos, Duster, Latitude, Logan, Megane, and Sandero.

Renault’s business analysis shows that Vietnamese customers are generally attracted to brands that already have an established presence in Vietnam. However, customers are now becoming open to purchasing more modern cars, and take into consideration factors such as quality and after-sales services when making a purchase.

This new trend has created an opportunity for many new players in the automotive industry to enter the Vietnamese market.

“Vietnam is an important step in our expansion, as it has huge market potential due to its fast growing automotive sector,” Coiffard said. “We want to be a leading European brand in Vietnam.”

Despite having a population of more than 90 million people, only 1.85 per cent of people in Vietnam own cars, according to Coiffard.

However, under Vietnamese government regulations, cars are listed as luxury items and are therefore subject to extremely high special consumption and import tax rates. For this reason, the prices of imported cars are higher than those of locally-made cars. These cars are also often sold at a far higher price in Vietnam than in other nations due to the high import tax.

“Renault hopes that the government will consider reducing its import tax rates, which will give Vietnamese customers the opportunity to purchase high-quality cars,” Coiffard said.

“Currently, Renault maintains a strategy of importing CBU cars into the country,” he added.

Recently, Renault and eight other world-famous automobile brand names, including Germany’s Audi, Porsche and BMW; the UK’s Jaguar, Land Rover and MINI; and China’s BAIC and Luxgen established an association for CBU automobile importers.

“The association hopes to create a fair market that encourages healthy competition,” Coiffard said.
 
Last update 09:05 | 13/02/2016
Oversupply of apartments sparks fresh bubble fears

VietNamNet Bridge – Thousands of apartment units will be put onto the market in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the near future, leading to fears of an oversupply in real estate.


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According to figures from Jones Lang LaSalle Vietnam (JLL), around 63,800 apartments will be completed in Ho Chi Minh City over the next three years, in Hanoi, this number will be more than 61,000 units.

The Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association (HoREA) said that the city’s districts 1, 2, 4, 9, Binh Thanh and Thu Duc will all see a large number of luxury apartments going up.

Major realty developers in the luxury segment include Dai Quang Minh, Vingroup, Novaland, Nam Long, Hung Thinh, Him Lam, and Phu My Hung.

The HoREA said that due to the sharp increase of supply in the next three years, a number of factors could cause oversupply, potentially leading to a bubble in the real estate market.

In particular, rapid economic development has raised the average income for Vietnamese people, many of whom have chosen to buy properties as a low-risk way to invest their capital. A new wave of real estate speculators is rising in the local real estate market.

“The government is offering many supportive measures in this area, but speculators could bring many disadvantages to the market,” said Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the HoREA.

Nguyen Van Duc, deputy director of Dat Lanh, said that despite the property market showing visible improvements in the past year, he knew of two problems that might cause a market imbalance: hundreds of projects being delayed for a long time, causing a large amount of debt, and the property developers focusing on high-end residential projects rather than affordable and low-cost housing, which is more likely to meet current demands.

“I wonder how the market can absorb such a huge supply of luxury apartments, while there is a shortage of houses for low-income earners,” Duc said.

These problems are posing a risk to the real estate market. A similar supply and demand imbalance contributed significantly to the ongoing property market freeze that started in 2008, he added.

However, Stephen Wyatt, country head of Jones Lang LaSalle Vietnam, said that despite the huge number of units that would flood the market in the next few years, credit support for homebuyers would fuel housing transactions this year and price hikes in all housing segments would continue.

According to Wyatt, a number of luxury housing projects, such as Sunrise City-North Towers with 616 units, Lexington Residence with 1,310 units, Masteri Thao Dien with 3,827 units, and Gold View with 1,759 units will be completed by 2018.

“Infrastructure improvements and the restructuring of the banking system are supporting the market, these will continue to drive purchases and make the market more stable,” he said.




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...and now for the yearlong loyal followers of VN economy thread :-)

best-dressed celebrities in 2015

Ho Ngoc Ha
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Ky Duyen
top-8-my-nhan-viet-mac-dep-nhat-nam-2015.jpg





Pham Huong
top-8-my-nhan-viet-mac-dep-nhat-nam-2015.jpg




Dang Thu Thao
top-8-my-nhan-viet-mac-dep-nhat-nam-2015.jpg





Huyen My

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POLITICS

ASEAN-US Summit: Vietnam premier meets up with Indonesian president
UPDATED : 02/16/2016 11:15 GMT + 7

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has had a chance to sit down with the leader of the Republic of Indonesia over several matters concerning the Vietnam-Indonesia relationship as part of the ASEAN-U.S. Summit in Sunnylands, California, theVietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The ASEAN-U.S. Summit, chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama, marks a significant milestone in the development of the ASEAN Community as the first summit convened with its partner nation since its establishment last year.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a 10-member organization, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

During their meeting at the summit, which is scheduled for February 15-16, the two leaders expressed mutual contentment with the success of last year’s activities welcoming the 60th year of bilateral diplomatic relations, serving to strengthen the friendship and solidarity between the two governments and their people.

The Vietnamese premier and President Joko Widodo agreed to maintain high-level bilateral meetings and visits over the coming years to further enhance the depth of their strategic partnership.

In economic terms, the two parties saw eye to eye on matters such as encouraging investment, diversifying trade products, and cooperation in resolving maritime conflicts.

The two leaders also reached an agreement on improving national security collaboration by accelerating the signing of bilateral patrol agreements, offering assistance in regional counter-terrorism practices, opening a hotline between the two countries’ customs bodies, and introducing mechanisms for policy dialogue to maintain regional peace, security, and stability.

In addition to bilateral cooperation, Premier Dung and President Widodo also discussed international and regional issues affecting both nations.

The central role of ASEAN in major issues concerning national and regional security and benefits was also addressed at the meeting.

On this special occasion, President Widodo announced his plan to extend a visit to Vietnam in the near future.

Prime Minister Dung and President Widodo also re-affirmed the importance of maintaining peace, order, security, and maritime-aviation safety and freedom in the East Vietnam Sea, pursuant to the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea (DOC), urging the signing of a Code of Conduct (COC) for the sea as well as resolving maritime conflicts in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on Law of the Sea.

Indonesia and Vietnam have agreed to boost bilateral trade to US$10 billion by 2018; the target is almost twice the current trade value between the two countries, which stands at $5.3 billion.

Jokowi reiterated that Indonesia was often disadvantaged by illegal fishing, and said he hoped sharper maritime delimitation would reduce the uncertainty regarding maritime boundaries.

ASEAN-US Summit: Vietnam premier meets up with Indonesian president
 
Indonesia, Vietnam to Step Up Cooperation to Double Trade Target
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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung have agreed to step up bilateral economic cooperation in order to realize the trade target of US$10 billion by 2018, almost doubling it from the 2015 level of US$5.3 billion.

"In the field of trade and investment, we hope the two countries will step up cooperation to realize the trade target of US$10 billion by 2018," Jokowi said after the bilateral meeting with Nguyen Tan Dung. The meeting came on the sidelines of the US-ASEAN Summit in California on Feb. 15, 2016.

Indonesia ranks at number 29 in Vietnams list of foreign investors, below Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.

Prime Minister Nuyen Tan Dung told Jokowi that Vietnamese investors were interested in the fields of agriculture, oil and gas in Indonesia.

Dung extended an invitation to Jokowi to visit his country. "I take this opportunity to extend an invitation (to President Jokowi) to visit Vietnam," he stated.Jokowi expressed his intention to honor the prime ministers invitation to visit Vietnam this year.

In the meantime, former Indonesian ambassador to Vietnam Mayerfas has called on the Indonesian companies, including state-owned enterprises, to be physically present in Vietnam to strengthen Indonesias economic clout in Southeast Asia.

"By choosing Vietnam as a base for Indonesian companies in Southeast Asia, we have a chance to benefit a market in Vietnam, which has a population of 92 million, as well as the markets of surrounding countries," the diplomat said in Jakarta on Feb. 16.

Citing an example, he said state-owned cement company PT Semen Indonesia has been successful in developing business in Vietnam after it bought a cement factory there in 2013.The company has been able to supply cement to meet Vietnams domestic needs. Previously, Vietnam had to import nearly two million tons of cement annually, he said.

The factory has also been able to access markets in Laos, Cambodia as well as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and several African countries.

"Therefore, we encourage other state-owned enterprises (BUMN) to be present physically in Vietnam as this will make Indonesias economy strong regionally and will also enable it to dominate the Southeast Asian markets," Mayerfas said.

At present, only about 20 to 30 Indonesian companies are fully operating in Vietnam.Thanks to its vast area and relatively cheap labor, Vietnams foreign trade reached US$328 billion in 2015, 60 percent of it being foreign investment.

The Indonesian diplomat is optimistic that the trade target of US$10 billion will be achieved, and that it may even be surpassed and reach US$12 billion.

The bilateral meeting between Jokowi and Dung in California followed their previous talks held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 22, 2015.

"Indonesias investment in Vietnam is also growing rapidly to reach almost US$500 million. We hope the Vietnamese government would pay attention," President Jokowi affirmed last year.

According to Ari Dwipayana of Jokowis presidential communications team, the president has also offered Indonesias strategic products to Vietnam, an offer that was welcomed by the Prime Minister.

To further boost Indonesias investment in Vietnam, the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) said it will facilitate investment plans by both state and private companies in Vietnam as well as in other ASEAN member countries.

"It is in line with the governments plan to benefit from the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community," BKPM Chief Franky Sibarani noted in a press statement last November.

The BKPM estimated that Indonesian investment in Vietnam had already reached around US$2 billion, including US$500 million in the past five years. Based on data provided by the BKPM, there are 31 Indonesian companies investing in Vietnam in various areas, such as cement, medicines, property, packaging, paint, food, chemicals and freight forwarding.

While seeking to attract foreign investment into the country, Indonesian state and private companies should also harbor regional and global ambitions, he emphasized.It is time for Indonesian companies to expand their operations abroad, he affirmed. "In fact, several state companies, such as Pertamina, Semen Indonesia, and Telkom already have business units abroad," he pointed out.

Bilateral relations between Indonesia and Vietnam have increased at a swift pace after the two inked a strategic partnership agreement in 2003.

Key Vietnamese products exported to Indonesia include rice and crude oil while key Indonesian products exported to Vietnam are chemicals, pulp, textile materials, leather and fertilizers.

According to Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade, the two-way trade revenue between Vietnam and Indonesia reached US$5.4 billion in 2014.



ANTARA
 
Vietnam's VietJet signs $3.04 bn deal with Pratt & Whitney

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Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet Air said Thursday it had signed a $3.04 billion deal with US engine maker Pratt & Whitney, underscoring the growth potential of Southeast Asia's low-cost airline market.
The engines will power the 63 Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft ordered by the carrier, VietJet said in a statement at the Singapore Airshow.
The agreement is worth $3.04 billion, VietJet said.
Industry players have said that Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, is a key growth market for budget air travel, driven by the region's growing middle class, many of whom are traveling for the first time.
"We are delighted to choose the PurePower Geared Turbofan engine for our fleet of Airbus A320neo and A321neo jets," said VietJet president and chief executive Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.
Founded in 2007, VietJet says it currently has a fleet of 34 aircraft, including A320s and A321s, and operates 200 flights each day.
Apart from domestic services, it also flies to international destinations like Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Myanmar.
US aircraft maker Boeing is forecasting that Southeast Asia needs 3,750 new airplanes in the next 20 years, with more than three-quarters of the deliveries being single-aisle airplanes favored by budget carriers.
"Southeast Asia is the world's most active region for medium-haul low-cost carriers, which is a business model with strong growth potential," Boeing said.
The engine deal is the biggest so far announced at the biennial airshow.
On Wednesday, Europe's Airbus said it had won an $1.85 billion deal for the purchase of six A350-900s by Philippine Airlines (PAL), the flag carrier of one of Asia's fastest-growing economies.
US-based rival Boeing announced a commitment from China's Okay Airways to buy 12 aircraft for $1.3 billion despite a weakening Chinese economy.
Vietnam's VietJet signs $3.04 bn deal with Pratt & Whitney | Business | Thanh Nien Daily
 
64 percent of Japanese investors in Vietnam see growth

Japanese investors are doing well in Vietnam with 64 percent of them planning business expansion, the highest rate of all Asia-Pacific markets.
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A new survey by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) showed that many Japanese investors are favoring Vietnam given its low labor costs and high growth potential brought by the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Vietnam and Japan are among 12 members of the free trade pact.
The survey found 85 percent of Japanese businesses in Vietnam posted higher revenues in 2015.
Responses were collected from 4,635 Japanese businesses in the region, including 557 in Vietnam.
The Philippines came second in the survey with 55 percent of respondents planning for expansion, followed by Indonesia with 52 percent. The ratio in Thailand was 49 percent, Malaysia 44.6 percent and China 38 percent.
Yasuzumi Hirotaka, representative of JETRO in Ho Chi Minh City, said at a conference that the labor costs in Vietnam’s manufacturing sector are less than half of those in China, Thailand and Malaysia.
But he said investors have problems sourcing raw materials in Vietnam as the country has only managed to supply 32 percent of the materials needed for production, lower than other markets.
Many investors also said Vietnam can be a risky investment destination due to a lack of transparency in its incomplete legal system.
Japan’s direct investment in Vietnam reached US$1.84 billion in 2015, only after South Korea and Malaysia. Most of the projects were in the manufacturing, retail and IT sectors.

64 percent of Japanese investors in Vietnam see growth | Business | Thanh Nien Daily
 
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Vietnam racks up nearly 685 million USD in trade surplus
VNA WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016

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Rice bags are prepared for export (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus of 684.6 million USD from mid-January to mid-February with export turnover of more than 17.03 billion USD and import value of over 16.3 billion USD, according to statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Outstanding exports were recorded in garments; footwear; computers, electronic products and their spare parts; telephones and spare parts from the outset of the year to February 15 with 2.6 billion USD, 1.45 billion USD, 1.63 billion USD and 3.03 billion USD, respectively. Meanwhile, imports of input materials remained high.

The foreign direct investment (FDI) sector recorded high import-export values. During the period, FDI enterprises exported 11.67 billion USD worth of products and spent 9.7 billion USD on imports. The sector saw a trade surplus of nearly 2 billion USD.

In January, the country’s exports reached 13.3 billion USD. Imports were estimated at 12.59 billion USD. FDI enterprises reaped 9 billion USD from exports, down 0.9 percent against the same month last year, while splashing out nearly 7.2 billion USD on purchasing materials, dropping 13 percent from last January.

Exports of agricultural products saw strong growth during the month. The country earned 216.6 million USD from shipping rice to foreign countries, rising 45.3 percent from the same period last year. Vegetable and fruit increased 46.5 percent to 199.4 million USD.

In stark contrast, exports fell for coal (84.8 percent), crude oil (61.9 percent) and material plastic (49.4 percent).

By mid-January, the country reported a 217-million-USD trade deficit. Total import-export revenues were calculated at 12.11 billion USD, 7.63 billion USD of which was contributed by the FDI sector.

Exports during the period picked up 3.6 percent from the same period last year to 5.95 billion USD, thanks to a surge in shipments of garments, equipment, vegetables, footwear and rice.-VNA
 
Vietnam to collaborate with Belarus, Russia to make cars, trucks


Thanh Nien News

HO CHI MINH CITY - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 08:36

RELATED NEWS




oto_vcnu.jpg

An automobile factory in Vietnam. Photo: Hua Xuyen Huynh

The Vietnamese government is looking to collaborate with Russia and Belarus in automobile manufacturing in an apparent effort to boost the local auto industry.

The governments finished talks on the collaboration last week and are expected to ink official agreements some time between the end of next month and the beginning of March, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reported on Monday.
According to the plans, Vietnamese automakers will join hands with foreign companies such as KAMAZ, GAZ, UAZ and MAZ to set up joint-ventures here to produce and assemble vehicles such as trucks, cars with more than 10 seats, and off-road cars.

Their products will also be exported to Southeast Asian countries to enjoy a tariff-free policy that will take effect in 2018, it said.

The joint-ventures will be first allowed to import complete units tax-free to sell in Vietnam. After learning more about the local market, they will then bring in parts for assembly, also free of tax.

In return, foreign manufacturers are obliged to provide technical support for local parts suppliers. The goal is to increase the ratio of local parts and components in their products to 35 percent in 2020, and 45 percent in 2026, it said.

Vietnam's auto industry has for years failed to live up to the high expectations set for it after many favorable policies. Critics said after decades of government support, the industry mostly does assembly work for foreign companies, with the use of local parts and components remaining painfully low.





Renault eyes Vietnam expansion

Last update 07:30 | 19/01/2016
VietNamNet Bridge – French-backed car maker Renault may build a factory to directly manufacture cars in Vietnam in order to benefit from slashed import tariffs within the ASEAN Economic Community.


20160115153147-car-renault.jpg

Renault may plan to manufacture cars in Vietnam to take advantage of the AEC’s slashed import tariffs

Xavier Coiffard, general director of France’s Auto Motors Vietnam, the exclusive importer of Renault cars in the country, told VIR that “it is likely that Renault will consider directly manufacturing cars in Vietnam in the medium term.”

Under the ASEAN Trade and Goods Agreement, the import tariff will drop from 50 per cent in 2015 to 40 per cent in 2016 for 77 per cent of tariff lines on completely built-up (CBU) automobiles imported from ASEAN countries into Vietnam.

These tariff lines will fall to 30 per cent in 2017 and 0 per cent in 2018.

“Currently, Renault has no manufacturing facilities in ASEAN. However, we are planning to build a factory in the region in order to benefit from tariff incentives,” Coiffard said, stressing that “Vietnam is expected to be selected for the location of this factory. Renault will also open new dealerships and offer more after-sale services.”

Over the past five years, Renault has been exporting cars to Vietnam, reporting a significant growth in revenue. Last year, it sold over 150 units, with a year-on-year 30 per cent rise in revenue.

Currently, Renault has seven showrooms in Vietnam marketing six car models including Koleos, Duster, Latitude, Logan, Megane, and Sandero.

Renault’s business analysis shows that Vietnamese customers are generally attracted to brands that already have an established presence in Vietnam. However, customers are now becoming open to purchasing more modern cars, and take into consideration factors such as quality and after-sales services when making a purchase.

This new trend has created an opportunity for many new players in the automotive industry to enter the Vietnamese market.

“Vietnam is an important step in our expansion, as it has huge market potential due to its fast growing automotive sector,” Coiffard said. “We want to be a leading European brand in Vietnam.”

Despite having a population of more than 90 million people, only 1.85 per cent of people in Vietnam own cars, according to Coiffard.

However, under Vietnamese government regulations, cars are listed as luxury items and are therefore subject to extremely high special consumption and import tax rates. For this reason, the prices of imported cars are higher than those of locally-made cars. These cars are also often sold at a far higher price in Vietnam than in other nations due to the high import tax.

“Renault hopes that the government will consider reducing its import tax rates, which will give Vietnamese customers the opportunity to purchase high-quality cars,” Coiffard said.

“Currently, Renault maintains a strategy of importing CBU cars into the country,” he added.

Recently, Renault and eight other world-famous automobile brand names, including Germany’s Audi, Porsche and BMW; the UK’s Jaguar, Land Rover and MINI; and China’s BAIC and Luxgen established an association for CBU automobile importers.

“The association hopes to create a fair market that encourages healthy competition,” Coiffard said.
Belarus-Russia truck is quite good, its quality is better than CN truck. If Russia agree to transfer engine tech to VN, then we believe many Russian will be sold in VN-Laos-Camb :cheers:
 
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When Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with Prime Minister Dung late last year at the Japan-Vietnam Summit Meeting, it was not just an indication of their strong personal relationship but also a reflection of the potential they see for increased economic cooperation between the two Asian economies.

While Japanese corporates have been investing in Vietnam for years, their role as project financiers is set to grow in the future. Vietnam’s enormous future infrastructure requirements can only be satisfied if the country draws overseas funding, and there is little doubt that a major portion of this will come from Japan.

The two countries have complementary investment needs. With depressed yields at home, Japanese institutional investors are increasingly looking abroad for higher returns to fund, amongst other things, retirement obligations for their aging population.

Meanwhile, Vietnam desperately needs to tap into overseas pools of liquidity for the investment funds needed to inject into and resuscitate its lifeless domestic economy and get it on track to realize its fullest potential.

The success of Dung’s ambitious ‘Made in Vietnam’ campaign will rely heavily on constructing infrastructure by creating an enabling policy framework and a conducive environment to expand not just the foreign manufacturing sector but, most importantly, the domestic manufacturing sector.

This will, inevitably in the long run, lead to enabling millions of young Vietnamese to find employment with local companies.

Over the next five years, Vietnam needs billions – if not more – to invest in infrastructure development along with tens of millions of portfolio funds to provide liquidity to the domestic economy, which are holding back economic growth.

Japan will most likely play the pivotal role in providing funds for both of these purposes.

Economic Cooperation

Economic cooperation is the key aspect of the bilateral relationship. According to 2013 statistics, Japan is Vietnam’s fourth largest trade partner after China, the US, and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Japan is also currently Vietnam’s third-largest export market behind China and the US. In 2011, Japan officially designated Vietnam as a market-based economy, making it the first country to do so.

Beyond this, both Vietnam and Japan are in the final stage of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. The free trade pact, which currently includes 12 countries representing 40% of global GDP, is expected to deepen trade and investment between the two countries at a much faster pace once finalized.

As of January 2015, Japan was the second biggest investor in Vietnam, with total registered investment of approximately US$37 billion, behind only the RoK. However, Tokyo is leading in terms of investments actually realized.

With respect to preferential loans, Japan has been Vietnam’s largest donor nation in terms of official development assistance (ODA), having committed up to US$2 billion in 2012. As of 2012, the cumulative ODA fund from Japan had reached US$22.7 billion.

Over the years, numerous bilateral agreements have been signed to create institutional frameworks for promoting bilateral trade and investments. In April 2003, Vietnam Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi launched the Vietnam-Japan Initiative to improve the business climate in Vietnam.

In December 2008, the Japan-Vietnam Economic Partnership Agreement (JVEPA) was endorsed to speed up economic cooperation, trade liberalization of goods and services, and investments between the two nations.

And in July 2013, Japan and Vietnam agreed to a ‘joint crediting mechanism’ that enables Japanese firms to purchase carbon credits while helping Vietnam lower its own carbon emissions.

Under the umbrella of these agreements, Vietnam has been trying to attract small-and-medium businesses from Japan in an effort to help develop its supporting industries. In 2013, the Long Duc Industrial Park located in the southern province of Dong Nai launched the Kansai Supporting Industry Complex to cater to small businesses from the Kansai region.

Following suit, in December 2014, the Vietnam-Japan Techno Park built in the Ho Chi Minh City-based Hiep Phuoc Industrial Park completed its first phase and became a popular destination for Japanese companies in the support manufacturing industry.

In the context of growing foreign invested enterprises presence in Vietnam, Japanese technology, expertise, and investment are what Vietnam really needs to advance its domestic economy.



Japanese funding drives Vietnam economic growth - News VietNamNet
 
Thanh Nien News

HANOI - Sunday, February 28, 2016 08:32

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A Samsung Electronics plant in Bac Ninh Province, which is among the top FDI receivers in Vietnam. Photo: Ngoc Son


Foreign direct investment (FDI) worth US$2.8 billion was registered for new and existing projects in Vietnam in the first two months, up 135 percent compared to the same period last year, according to new statistics.

A report from the General Statistics Office said 291 new projects had been licensed in Vietnam as of February 20 with pledged investment capital totaling $1.9 billion.

Another $900 million was added to existing projects, it said.

Most of the investment was for the manufacturing and processing sectors. Nearly a tenth was coming to Hanoi, the biggest recipient, followed by the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh.

The actual FDI inflow in the first two months increased 15.4 percent from a year ago.
 
FDI is good in the sense that It create a lot of jobs. But if Vietnamese companies cannot compete and grow, Vietnam will just become another Thailand, at best Malaysia, but never truly become an industrial power like China or Taiwan.

I am still wondering what is the real problem, not only for now but back to 1 thousand years ago. Why Vietnam could not industrialize like North East Asian countries?. Actually, China (possibly Japan as well) were in industrializing process as soon as in early 14th century, albeit at lower level compared with Western Europe. During Ming dynasty period, in China, there was already large plants with thousands workers to produce china products for export. Industrial plants like this were much different to handicrafts. (read Sử Trung Quốc by Nguyễn Hiến Lê)

Many effort to industrialize by Le and Nguyen dynasties failed, although in theory, Vietnam was on par with North East Asian countries, IQ-wide.
 
FDI is good in the sense that It create a lot of jobs. But if Vietnamese companies cannot compete and grow, Vietnam will just become another Thailand, at best Malaysia, but never truly become an industrial power like China or Taiwan..
well, we grew up from the ashes, considering our GDP per capita was about 100 USD in the 1980s. no need comparing to China and TW as we have a different economic base.
I am still wondering what is the real problem, not only for now but back to 1 thousand years ago. Why Vietnam could not industrialize like North East Asian countries?. Actually, China (possibly Japan as well) were in industrializing process as soon as in early 14th century, albeit at lower level compared with Western Europe. During Ming dynasty period, in China, there was already large plants with thousands workers to produce china products for export. Industrial plants like this were much different to handicrafts. (read Sử Trung Quốc by Nguyễn Hiến Lê)

Many effort to industrialize by Le and Nguyen dynasties failed, although in theory, Vietnam was on par with North East Asian countries, IQ-wide.
with the invention of steam engine, England was the first country that became industrialized, not China. nor Japan. before steam engine, all works were done by manual labor. in short: primitive.

if Vietnam under the rule of the Le was primitive, how could we defeat the Ming dynasty, annihilating the chinese invasion army, back then, a economic and military superpower in East Asia? how could we have subjugated the Kingdom of Champa, ending the hundred of years hegemony of the Khmer Kingdom, the Kingdom of Siam and set our feet on as far as Burma? threatening the stability of the Malay peninsula?

the civil code under the Le gave the women the same rights as the man. well, at least on paper. in practice, the man has more rights. a chinese legacy.
 
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