☕ Afternoon briefing on January 17

The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

☕ Afternoon briefing on January 17

Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency.

- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on January 16 afternoon (local time) as part of his official visit to the European country.

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At the meeting between Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (third, left) and Polish President Andrzej Duda (third, right) at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. (Photo: VNA)

President Duda spoke highly of the official visit of PM Chinh and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Government as the two countries are celebrating the 75th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations (1950-2025). He believed that the visit to Poland by a Vietnamese PM after many years will create a turning point to further promote the Poland - Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership. The President highly evaluated Vietnam's role in the Asia-Pacific region. Read full story

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had meetings with executives of leading Polish businesses, including Adamed Pharma and LOT Airlines, in Warsaw on January 17 morning as part of his official visit to Poland.

Talking to Malgorzata Adamkiewicz, President of the Supervisory Board of Adamed Pharma, PM Chinh congratulated the firm on its effective investment in Vietnam, and welcomed its plan to expand investment, which aligns with Vietnam's investment encouragement policy, particularly in high-tech industries to serve healthcare and improve the quality of life for the Vietnamese people. Read full story

- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to the Czech Republic from January 18 to 20 will help further reinforce relations between the two countries, while creating opportunities for stronger cooperation across various fields, said Chairwoman of the Czech Republic - Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Group Petra Quittova in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Prague.

Quittova, who is also a member of the Chamber of Depities of the European nation, highlighted that the Vietnam - Czech Republic relationship has flourished over the past 75 years, with much potential still to be tapped into. Read full story

- Vietnam has cemented its position as an attractive destination for foreign businesses looking to expand their operations in Southeast Asia, driven by robust growth and expanding infrastructure.

The country's foreign direct investment (FDI) situation showed remarkable resilience in 2024, with total capital reaching 38.23 billion USD, including new registrations, adjustments, and share purchases. While this represents a modest 3% decline from the previous year, Vietnam's performance stands out amid global investment slowdown, securing a place among the world's top 15 developing nations in terms of FDI attraction. Read full story

- The Southern Coastal Economic Zone of Hai Phong has officially come into being, expected to broaden the development space and growth momentum for the northern port city.

The zone establishment decision was announced at a January 16 conference which also saw the presentation of investment registration certificates to 11 projects in local industrial and economic zones./. Read full story

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Visitors savor freshly prepared dishes on-site at the “Discover US Agriculture” programme, held on July 19, 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City. (Illustrative photo: VNA)

Vietnam, US work to step up agricultural cooperation

Vietnam has strengths in tropical farm produce, seafood and wooden products, while the US is a major supplier of key inputs such as soybeans, corn, wheat and dairy products. This trade structure creates a balanced supply chain with little direct competition, delivering tangible benefits to businesses and consumers in both countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha speaks at the opening ceremony of the Vietbuild Hanoi International Exhibition 2026 on March 26. (Photo: VNA)

Vietbuild Hanoi 2026 International Exhibition opens

The five-day event, themed “Construction – Building Materials – Real Estate – Green Transport”, brings together more than 2,500 booths from domestic and international enterprises, reflecting the development momentum of Vietnam’s construction sector and the broader economy.

An overview of the International Coffee Conference 2026 (Photo: VNA)

Global Coffee Alliance launched to drive sustainable, inclusive growth

The Global Coffee Alliance is envisioned as a public–private partnership that bridges diplomatic efforts with business operations. Looking ahead to 2040, it aims to develop a global coffee ecosystem that is inclusive, technology-driven, and aligned with net-zero emissions goals.

At Dung Quat oil refinery (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam races to restart idle ethanol plants to meet surging demand

Do Van Tuan, Chairman of the Vietnam Biofuels Association, said that monthly ethanol demand for the E10 blend is projected at 92,000–100,000 cu.m. The country’s six ethanol plants have a combined design capacity of roughly 41,000 cu. m per month, but only three are now running, churning out about 25,000 cu.m, or just 25–27% of demand. Even if every plant hits full tilt, local supply would cover only around 41% of national needs.

At a supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City to pilot pork trading on Mercantile Exchange of Vietnam

Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said listing pork on the MXV will finally give consumers and firms more stable prices, while slapping on stricter food safety rules and making it easier to track where the meat actually comes from. Farmers, meanwhile, stand to gain from more predictable margins and dodge fewer of the supply-demand imbalances that routinely distort prices.

Processing octopus for export to the Japanese market at Huy Nam Company in An Giang (Photo: VNA)

Squid, octopus exports pick up early in 2026

In terms of product structure, squid has emerged as the main growth driver. Export turnover of squid exceeded 64 million USD, rising nearly 30%, while octopus exports brought in more than 47 million USD, up over 16%. The development indicates that demand for squid products is recovering faster in the short term.

The world’s longest over-sea cable car to Hon Thom Island in the Phu Quoc special zone, An Giang province. (Photo: VNA)

An Giang steps up tourism development ahead of APEC 2027

Tourism in the province has recorded strong growth, affirming its position as one of the region’s leading destinations. Phu Quoc Island continues to attract the majority of international travellers, receiving more than 817,660 visitors, accounting for over 98.5% of total foreign arrivals to the province.

Import-export activities at Lach Huyen international port in Hai Phong (Photo: VNA)

Reducing risks, removing logistics bottlenecks amid Middle East volatility

According to Truong Xuan Trung, Trade Counsellor of Vietnam in the UAE, the Middle East serves not only as a consumption market but also as a key global transhipment hub, meaning instability in the region creates ripple effects across intercontinental transport networks. Shipping route adjustments and airspace restrictions have lengthened transit times, increased costs and disrupted delivery schedules, with some Vietnamese shipments forced to reroute or seek alternative markets.

Cargo is handled at container terminals No. 3 and No. 4 of Hai Phong International Gateway Port. (Photo: VNA)

Businesses seek “survival momentum” amid global geopolitical turbulence

This is an urgent move as the challenges of 2026 differ markedly from previous ones, shaped by overlapping external shocks ranging from geopolitical tensions disrupting supply chains to surging logistics and raw material costs, exchange-rate pressures, and increasingly complex tariff barriers in global markets.

At the 2025 trade connectivity week for mechanical, electrical and digital industries. (Photo: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City gives boost to supporting industry firms

Supporting industry firms in Ho Chi Minh City are scrambling to embed themselves more deeply into both global and domestic supply chains, backed by a suite of local incentives that are speeding up their tech upgrades and market access.

Italy's national pavilion at the ongoing Food & Hospitality Vietnam 2026 exhibition at Ho Chi Minh City's Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) draws visitors for hands-on experiences. (Photo: IVNA)

Italian food firms eye opportunities in Vietnam

Italy’s exports of food and beverages to Vietnam reached 105.1 million EUR in 2025, up 4% year-on-year, positioning the country among the leading EU suppliers to the Vietnamese market.

An overview of the working session (Photo: baoquangninh.vn)

Quang Ninh promotes all-round cooperation with Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Quang Ninh encourages Guangxi enterprises to invest in high-tech marine aquaculture and expand aquatic product exports in China. At the same time, the province aims to develop livestock farming in line with international standards and attract investment in deep-processing plants for agricultural products such as cinnamon, star anise and tea, linked with traceability systems at border gates.

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Vietnam becomes fastest growing market for Norwegian salmon in Southeast Asia

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) reported at the “Norwegian seafood industry in Vietnam market 2026” event held in Ho Chi Minh City on March 25 that fresh Norwegian salmon exports to Vietnam jumped 16% in volume in the first two months of 2026 compared with a year earlier, while frozen salmon shipments surged about 37%.