☕ Afternoon briefing on October 17

Hanoi (VNA) – The following is a brief review of the day’s events as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on October 17.

- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Assistant Minister for Trade and Assistant Minister for Manufacturing of Australia Senator Tim Ayres in Hanoi on October 17, who is in Vietnam to co-chair the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Southeast Asia Ministerial Forum 2022. Read full story

- Vietnam’s proactive engagement in the discussion of the pillars of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) has been highly valued by US officials and enterprises, and it shows that the country is ready to seriously comply with international trade rules, said Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Dung.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, he said the sectors that US businesses hope to invest in and cooperate with Vietnam include high technology, energy, agriculture, healthcare/pharmaceutical, finance, aviation, and tourism. Notably, there are an increasing number of Vietnamese enterprises wishing to expand investment and business activities in the US, which has never been seen before. Read full story

- Singaporean and Vietnamese experts have highlighted achievements of the Vietnam-Singapore relations so far and recommended sectors they should prioritise for cooperation in the time to come, on the occasion of the ongoing State visit to Vietnam by Singaporean President Halimah Yacob from October 16-20. Read full story

- The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has decided to widen the trade band of USD/VND spot exchange rate from /-3% to /-5%, effective from October 17.

According to the SBV, between the beginning of 2022 and now, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) and many major central banks have tightened monetary policy, and raised interest rates. Read full story

- After over five years of negotiations, the US Department of Agriculture has officially licensed the import of fresh pomelo from Vietnam, an official has said.

Pomelo is the seventh fresh fruit of Vietnam to be licensed to enter the US market, following mango, longan, lychee, dragon fruit, rambutan, and star apple, Hoang Trung, Director of the Plant Protection Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told a meeting in Hanoi on October 17. Read full story

- As many as 30 big foreign suppliers, including Microsoft, Facebook, Netflix; Samsung; TikTok; and eBay made tax declaration via the portal http://Etaxvn.gdt.gov.vn and paid 22.2 million USD worth of tax, according to a report recently submitted by the Ministry of Finance to the National Assembly. Read full story

- A delegation of enterprises from Styria, the second biggest in term of area and the fourth populous state of Austria, arrived in Vietnam last weekend to learn more about business opportunities in the Southeast Asian country.

The delegation was led by Regional Minister for Foreign Affairs Barbara Eibinger-Miedl. Read full story

- An art programme to honour “Ao dai” (traditional dress) will take place at the Centre for Women and Development in Tay Ho district, Hanoi on October 18.

The event will bring together artists from the Vietnam National Drama Theatre, who will show “Ao Dai” collections by designer Do Trinh Hoai Nam, and other designers. Read full story

- Vietnam is among the 20 best places to visit in January as suggested by UK travel magazine Wanderlust in a recent article.

According to the article, Vietnam, at the 8th place in the list, like its neighbour Laos, is a safe bet in January. The weather is similarly pleasant, dry and sunny – with only slight differences between the north and south. Crowds have yet to arrive post-Christmas, so you've got the chance to experience this uber-popular country in relative peace. Read full story./.