Business

The inspection team of the European Commission (EC) is expected to visit Viet Nam in March for its fifth on-site inspection. This visit carries particular significance, as its outcome will be a decisive factor in whether the EC lifts the “yellow card” warning or potentially escalates it to a “red card” for Viet Nam’s seafood sector.

From 3:00 p.m. on March 7, retail prices of petrol and oil products simultaneously increased sharply following a decision by the joint Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance.

After the fuel price adjustment by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance on March 5, which saw significant increases, related trading activities in Ha Noi have remained stable.

The Vietnamese Government has issued Resolution No. 36/NQ-CP outlining urgent measures to safeguard national energy security and prevent fuel disruption amid escalating Middle East tensions.

The branded residences market in Viet Nam is witnessing a significant turning point, with a strong shift from the resort segment to urban projects in Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi.

In 2026, Viet Nam’s rice industry is determined to maintain export market shares in traditional destinations while proactively expanding into new markets with high demand and stringent quality requirements, such as Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea. The move aims to broaden market access and adapt flexibly to global trade fluctuations.

Amid the complex situation in the Middle East affecting international logistics, the Customs Department on March 6 instructed its regional sub-departments to provide maximum support to businesses, prioritising the flexible handling of procedures such as cancellation of declarations, re-importation, or route adjustments to ensure the smooth customs clearance of Vietnamese enterprises’ import and export goods.

Viet Nam’s total foreign trade value reached 155.7 billion USD in the first two months of 2026, up 22.2% year-on-year, while the country recorded a trade deficit of 2.98 billion USD, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance.

Global gold prices on March 6 edged down slightly to around 5,134 USD per ounce as investors continued profit-taking after a prolonged period of consecutive gains. In the domestic market, SJC-branded gold bars and rings also declined in line with global prices, with the selling price at about 183.8 million VND per tael.

Trading platforms at the Viet Nam International Financial Centre in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang city should be launched early and introduced to the global market, according to Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) disbursed in Viet Nam during the first two months of 2026 is estimated at 3.21 billion USD, up 8.8% year-on-year and the highest level recorded for the period in the past five years, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance.

In order to exchange views and clarify issues related to tax refund policies for programmes funded by the US Government in Viet Nam, the General Department of Taxation held a working session with representatives of the US Embassy on the afternoon of March 5.

Viet Nam’s consumer price index (CPI) in February rose 1.14% from the previous month as prices increased in most major groups of goods and services, the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance announced on March 6.

Viet Nam's benchmark VN-Index fell by 2.25% to 1,767.84 points on March 6.

At present, Ho Chi Minh City is not only focusing on the transition of transport vehicles but is also gradually improving its environmental policy framework. These efforts aim to reduce air pollution, encourage the development of clean vehicles, and increase the use of public transport.

The strong momentum from the private economic sector is placing new demands on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to undergo substantive transformation in order to affirm their role as a pillar of the national economy. This role should not rely solely on capital scale and asset size, but must be established through the capacity to lead in core technologies, innovation, and modern governance standards.

The British Embassy in Viet Nam and the British Consulate-General in Viet Nam, in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group, organised a capacity-building session in Ha Noi on March 5 to strengthen UK–Viet Nam cooperation aimed at promoting the development of Viet Nam’s derivatives commodity trading market.

With a scale approaching 1 quadrillion VND, public investment in 2026 is expected to usher in a new growth cycle, not only in terms of disbursement speed but also in implementation quality, thereby creating momentum for sustainable economic development.

Ho Chi Minh City has approved a plan to establish the Ho Chi Minh City Venture Capital Fund to support innovative start-ups, technology incubation, and digital transformation activities across the city.

Viet Nam’s agro-forestry-fishery exports maintained strong growth momentum in the first two months of 2026, rising 17.1% year-on-year to an estimated 11.3 billion USD, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.