Vietnam raked in an estimated 6.42 billion USD from forestry product exports in the first half of 2023, down 28.8% year on year, according to the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The goal of keeping inflation under 4.5% this year will be totally feasible, as the rate may range between 2.5-3.5%, experts said at a seminar held in Hanoi on July 4.

The United Overseas Bank (UOB) has lowered its 2023 economic growth forecast for Vietnam from 6% to 5.2%, and forecast that Vietnam will continue to cut regulatory interest rates in the third quarter of this year to stimulate its economy.

In the context of the global economic downturn and the lingering impact of challenges on the recovery process, many international organisations continue to highlight Vietnam’s positive economic outlook in 2023 thanks to the government's concerted efforts in boosting socio-economic recovery.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued an official dispatch on enhancing the implementation of tasks and measures to promote rice production and export.

Coffee is an export highlight of agricultural products in the first half of 2023, as the industry's export revenue earned 2 billion USD in the period, the General Department of Customs has announced.

US firm CT Strategies is considering the possibility of developing a free trade zone in the southern province of Binh Duong, Andrew Farrelly, the firm’s CEO, said at a working session with the provincial administration on July 3.

The fertiliser export market declined in both volume and price in the first six months of this year.

Low-cost carrier Vietjet has officially reopened direct routes connecting Da Nang and “pearl island” Phu Quoc with Hong Kong (China), meeting the needs of people and tourists.

According to the 2022 rating by US News & World Report, Vietnam is the 30th most powerful country with its GDP topping 363 billion USD, a population of 98.2 million, and a per capita GDP in purchasing power equivalent of more than 11,553 USD.

The southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City will build seven new logistic centres from now to 2025, the municipal People’s Committee said on July 3.

The June consumer price index (CPI) in Hanoi increased 0.11% month on month, and climbed 1.22% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, reported the Hanoi Statistics Office.

The State Bank of Vietnam set the daily reference exchange rate at 23,804 VND/USD on July 4, down 1 VND from the previous day.

The Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC) has asked the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) to achieve revenue and after-tax profit of over 6.5 trillion VND (274.1 million USD) and 3 billion VND this year, respectively, the corporation said.

Two passenger trains from the capital city of Hanoi to the northern port city of Hai Phong will be organised at the Hanoi station on all days in the week starting July 13, instead of just weekends and holidays like now, the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) has announced.

Despite a downward trend in aquatic product exports in the first half of 2023, the lower pace of month-on-month decline is giving hopes for a recovery in the remaining months of this year.

The retail petrol prices have been reduced by 400-500 VND per litre in the latest adjustment on July 3 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance.

Developing high quality human resources is a main solution to help the labour market recover in a sustainable manner, said Director General of the General Statistics Office (GSO) Nguyen Thi Huong.

Several measures have been recommended to help Vietnamese exporters cope with dwindling demand in many markets around the world.

An 20.8% increase in the base salary for civil servants, public employees, and members of the armed forces from July 1 will lead to rises in prices of other goods and services, which may put a pressure on curbing 2023’s inflation, according to General Director of the General Statistics Office (GSO) Nguyen Thi Huong.