Vietnam will be able to boost its wood exports when the Vietnam-European Union Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (VPA/FLEGT) takes effect, said Permanent Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan.
Talking with the press in Hanoi on January 7 about the upcoming approval of the VPA/FLEGT, Tuan said the agreement will help strengthen forest governance, deal with illegal logging, and promote trade in Vietnamese wood and wooden furniture.
Vietnam has so far shipped wooden furniture to 28 EU countries, mostly in outdoor decor. The EU is the fourth largest importer of Vietnamese wood products, accounting for 13-17% of total exports, he said.
According to him, transparency in the origin of imported wood and control of the supply chain have been among Vietnam’s key issues during the six years of VPA/FLEGT negotiations.
On the basis of agreements with the EU and partners on wood origin control, Vietnam has recently issued the Law on Forestry, launched the Vietnam Timber Legality Assurance System (VNTLAS) for the first time, and hiked up the punishments for violations.
Vice President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala said all wood and wooden furniture exported from Vietnam to the EU need FLEGT licences.
The EU has been signing the agreement with 16 countries. The VPA/FLEGT is the second signed by the EU in Asia, following its deal with Indonesia, she said.
She added that the EU wants to eliminate illegal wood exploitation to meet the increasing demands of European consumers.
Vietnam should make every effort to ensure its accountability, she said, adding that the EU will pay special attention to the country’s preparations for the implementation of the agreement.
Tuan said Vietnam has approved a plan to realise the agreement, including building legal documents and strengthening the supervisory role of non-governmental organisations, professional organisations, and concerned parties during the process.
From January 7-9, Hautala is scheduled to pay working trips to the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai and Ho Chi Minh City to prepare for submitting the agreement to the EP for approval.
After six years of negotiations, the VPA/FLEGT was signed by both sides on October 19, 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.
The deal needs to be adopted by the EP before being submitted to the European Council for ratification.
Rather than expanding logistics infrastructure indiscriminately, the MoIT plans to establish a tiered network comprising national, regional and local logistics centres, specialised logistics hubs and cargo consolidation points.
Vietnam has entered the world's top 30 most competitive economies for the first time, ranking 27th out of 70 economies in the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking published by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
The new circular will help credit institutions have more room to provide capital to businesses and investment projects to support high economic growth in the next few years, while increasing flexibility in the SBV’s monetary policy management.
The study found that 85% of Vietnamese enterprises reported positive business sentiment, a sharp increase from 48% in 2025, when business confidence was weighed down by uncertainties surrounding US tariff policies and related trade developments.
Resolution 10-NQ/TW marks a significant reset of Vietnam’s foreign investment strategy, introducing broad reforms to create a more unified and effective framework for attracting foreign capital.
Vinh Long farmers are scaling up specialised growing zones and tightening production standards, aiming to lock in sustainable growth for pomelo cultivation and more prosperity across the Mekong Delta province.
According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Van Thinh, the province aims to maintain stable and sustainable growth, improve the competitiveness of both the economy and local businesses, and make better use of free trade agreements (FTAs) to expand and diversify export markets.
As offenders adopt increasingly sophisticated tactics, customs authorities are tightening controls at border gates, stepping up the use of technologies and refining enforcement measures to intercept illicit goods at the import and transit stages.
As Vietnam pursues rapid and sustainable economic growth, improving growth quality, advancing the green transition, promoting the circular economy, and adopting environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards are becoming increasingly urgent.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) highlighted the city's dominance in green-certified building floor space in Vietnam, reflecting the rapid expansion of the green building market with 780 completed green buildings encompassing over 18.69 million sq.m by 2025, predominantly certified by EDGE and LEED.
The United Kingdom officially announced two new climate cooperation initiatives to support Vietnam in its energy transition and green growth journey. These programs focus on offshore wind power development and the creation of a sustainable green financial ecosystem.
The GTTCI expert noted that alongside logistics and integrated warehousing, e-commerce is expected to be a particularly high-growth sector in the coming years. He described it as a multi-billion-dollar market with significant untapped opportunities for cooperation between Vietnam and India.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam’s exports reached 215.66 billion USD in the first five months of 2026, up 19.5% year-on-year. Twenty-six export items generated more than 1 billion USD in revenue each, including seven with turnover exceeding 10 billion USD.
By combining centuries-old craftsmanship with contemporary design, Hanoi’s traditional craft villages are finding new ways to keep their cultural heritage relevant and competitive in modern life.
A significant number of Swedish enterprises are set to expand their operations in Vietnam, reflecting a deep-seated confidence in the country’s long-term economic prospects.
Since the start of the summer harvest season, China's two major border gates with Vietnam, Youyi Guan in Pingxiang and Beilun 2 Bridge in Dongxing, have entered their peak period for handling imports of fresh agricultural and seafood products from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
UOB noted that while Vietnam has maintained relatively strong growth momentum, recent economic indicators suggest a mixed short-term outlook, with positive developments tempered by mounting challenges. In particular, higher energy costs are beginning to weigh on manufacturing activity and macroeconomic stability.
According to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), the logistics sector will require around 2.2 million workers by 2030, including 1.6 million employees for logistics service providers and nearly 600,000 personnel supporting logistics operations in manufacturing and trading enterprises.
To date, over 100 fisheries unions, solidarity groups and teams protecting national sovereignty and security at sea in Da Nang have signed commitments not to engage in IUU fishing.
The development strategy for VIFC-HCMC envisions a comprehensive financial ecosystem encompassing green finance, carbon credits, financial technology (fintech), blockchain technology, digital assets, digital banking and other innovative business models. These highly internationalised sectors involve complex cross-border transactions and sophisticated legal structures.