Denzel Eades, Chairman of BritCham Vietnam, noted that bilateral trade has reached 9 billion USD since the beginning of this year, while the UK’s direct investment in Vietnam has exceeded 4.5 billion USD. These figures reflect positive growth momentum and the potential for expanding bilateral cooperation in the new period.
The Party chief’s official visit is expected to mark a new milestone in Vietnam–UK cooperation, particularly in sectors where both sides possess complementary strengths.
Vietnam highly values the European country’s efforts to implement the Aid for Trade programme and offer preferential market access for goods from over 90 developing countries through its Developing Countries Trading Scheme, said Ambassador Mai Phan Dung.
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam on October 29 met with executives from several leading British corporations and international financial institutions as part of his official visit to the United Kingdom.
By September 2025, bilateral trade between Vietnam and the UK had reached 6.9 billion USD, a 10.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Two-way trade has more than tripled over the past decade, now exceeding 9 billion GBP (nearly 12.1 billion USD) annually. Through high-level discussions, tailored networking sessions, exhibition zones, and on-demand B2B meetings, the event will offer a unique gateway for UK and Vietnamese businesses to build strategic partnerships and expand their growth opportunities in the Vietnamese market.
Trade between HCM City and the UK topped 390 million USD in the first half of 2025. The UK is now the city’s 11th largest foreign investor with a total capital exceeding 1.1 billion USD.
Reaffirming Vietnam’s commitment to foreign investors, Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang said government policies always aim to ensure transparency, fairness and a mutually beneficial environment that promotes innovation and safeguards investor rights, making Vietnam a sustainable and long-term investment destination.
FTSE Russell acknowledged Vietnam’s recent reforms as effective steps toward meeting upgrade criteria.
Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang noted that free trade agreements such as the UK–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) have expanded opportunities for businesses in both countries.
The Finance Minister's mission in the UK and Italy is expected to unlock new cooperation opportunities across multiple high-potential sectors, contributing to economic and financial cooperation between Vietnam and European countries.
Vietnam is committed to accompanying and creating the most favourable conditions for international enterprises and organisations, including our partners from the UK, to expand cooperation in semiconductor research, development, production, and business, said an official of the National Innovation Centre.
The Vietnamese Government is hastening several key projects, including cross-border rail connections with China, the North–South high-speed railway, and urban rail lines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Comprising members who work and conduct research at investment banks, asset management funds, fintech companies, and strategic financial consulting firms, Vietnam Finance and Investment Association in the United Kingdom is well-positioned to stay abreast of global trends, international standards, and effective operational models of the modern financial industry.
An official of the UK Department for Business and Trade identified green technology, fintech, health care, and many others as promising areas for deeper collaboration between Vietnam and the UK.
The UK, with an annual agri-food import value of 67 billion USD, is seen as a high-potential market. In 2024, Vietnam’s agri-export turnover to the UK reached nearly 883 million USD, a 15.4% year-on-year increase.
Vietnam Airlines launched its direct UK route in 2011, initially operating from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) before transitioning to Heathrow in 2015, improving connectivity to one of the UK’s major international hubs./.
The agreement is expected to generate over 20 million GBP (26 million USD) in revenue for the UK seafood sector over the next five years.
At the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister Phan Thi Thang affirmed that the MoU not only represents a milestone in the cooperation between the two sides but also demonstrates the ministry’s commitment to protecting consumer interests in an increasingly interconnected global marketplace.
With Ho Chi Minh City ranking 98th out of 121 global financial centres and classified as a "local specialist" in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) released on March 20, Vietnam has a plethora of strategic options to develop its financial hub.
Vietnam’s plan to establish regional and international financial centres in Da Nang City and Ho Chi Minh City will not only enhance the country’s position in the regional and global financial systems but also create motives for sustainable economic growth.
The UK's University of Stirling has announced a 3.5 million GBP (4.55 million USD) initiative named AquaSoS to develop digital tools to support sustainable aquaculture in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, according to the British Embassy in Vietnam.
As part of his visit to the UK, on March 18, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh held meetings with British Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle.
Vietnam has the foundation and potential to successfully build an international financial center, according to Associate Professor Nguyen Dang Bang, a finance expert at the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School.
Tuan also highlighted the importance of human capital, one of the five important factors to successfully build a financial centre, citing the Global Financial Centres Index, which ranks business environment, human capital, infrastructure, market development, and reputation as the key drivers of success.