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The lending consortium includes Vietcombank as the lead arranger, alongside VietinBank, BIDV, Agribank, TPBank, and VPBank.

​The Saigon - My Thuan Expressway BOT Co., Ltd (the project enterprise) and a consortium of six banks have officially signed a syndicated credit agreement to fund the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway expansion project.

The credit facility, totaling VND27.094 trillion (approx. $1.03 billion), secures the necessary capital to ensure the project stays on schedule.

The lending consortium includes Vietcombank as the lead arranger, alongside VietinBank, BIDV, Agribank, TPBank, and VPBank. According to the participating parties, this represents the largest credit financing ever granted to a transport project under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in Vietnam.

Speaking at the signing ceremony on July 16, Deputy Minister of Construction Bui Xuan Dung emphasized that the completion of the credit agreement is a major milestone, providing the financial foundation to move the project forward according to the planned timeline.

The Deputy Minister noted that expanding the HCMC – Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway is an urgent requirement to alleviate severe congestion on the route. The expansion aims to enhance traffic safety, reduce logistics costs, improve regional competitiveness, and create more development opportunities for the Mekong Delta.

Since Phase 1 of the Trung Luong – My Thuan section was put into operation, traffic volume has peaked at over 60,000 vehicles per day. This significantly exceeds the original design capacity, making the expansion an immediate priority.

The HCMC – Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway expansion project has a total investment of VND36.125 trillion (nearly $1.4 billion). It is being implemented via the PPP model and notably involves no state budget funding.

The figure equivalent to 36.5% of the annual target.

Vietnam's government bond issuance slowed markedly in June 2026, reflecting softer market demand and changing conditions on both the supply and demand sides, according to data from the Vietnam Bond Market Association (VBMA).

During the month, the State Treasury conducted 20 government bond auctions with a total offering value of VND68 trillion ($2.58 billion). However, only VND23.38 trillion worth of bonds was successfully issued, resulting in a bid-to-cover success rate of 34.4%, indicating relatively subdued investor appetite.

The value of successful bond sales fell by more than 30% from May and was approximately 23% lower than in June 2025, highlighting a clear slowdown in capital mobilization through government bond auctions.

Issuance continued to be concentrated in medium- and long-term maturities. Ten-year bonds accounted for the largest share of successful issuance at 58%, followed by five-year bonds with 39%.

According to the State Treasury, the average winning yield rose to 4.25% per annum in June, compared with 4.09% in the previous month, suggesting that higher borrowing costs were needed to attract investors.

For the first six months of 2026, total government bond issuance reached VND182.56 trillion ($6.94 billion), equivalent to 36.5% of the annual target.

China has surpassed the US to become the largest buyer of Vietnamese seafood, with imports reaching nearly US$1.4 billion in the first half of 2026.

HÀ NỘI — China has surpassed the US to become the largest buyer of Vietnamese seafood, with imports reaching nearly US$1.4 billion in the first half of 2026, up about 40 per cent year-on-year, according to statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

The recorded imports were nearly $898 million in the period, down about 1 per cent. Japan ranked third with nearly $788 million, a 2 per cent increase.

A representative from seafood exporter Nam Viet Corporation said that the shift towards China has become more visible since the beginning of the year. The company as shipping costs to distant markets remained high, China became a more attractive destination thanks to its geographical proximity, lower logistics costs and faster capital recovery.

Lê Hằng, deputy general secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said that the US and European markets introduced more trade barriers, so many seafood exporters had proactively shifted to China.

Exports to the US continued to face challenges, Hằng said.

She pointed out that the US’ stricter requirements under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) have forced exporters to obtain additional Certificates of Admissibility (COA), which creates complicated procedures, particularly for tuna products.

Shrimp exports to this market have also remained under pressure from high anti-dumping duties.

The US market was further affected by increased shipments ahead of new tariff measures, which pushed up inventories.

The VASEP said seafood export growth during the period reflected not only recovering demand but also businesses’ ability to adjust markets and restructure products as importers have become more cautious while requirements on pricing, quality standards, certification and traceability have tightened.

Other markets also recorded positive growth. The Republic of Korea imported $419.4 million worth of seafood from Việt Nam in the first six months, up 9 per cent, while ASEAN markets purchased more than $380 million, up 16 per cent.

The figures show that Việt Nam’s market diversification strategy has helped offset slower growth in traditional markets such as the US, the EU and Japan.

Overall, Việt Nam’s seafood exports totalled more than $5.7 billion in the January-June period, rising 11.4 per cent from a year earlier.

Shrimp remained Việt Nam’s largest seafood export item, generating about $2.3 billion in the first half, up 13.6 per cent year-on-year and accounting for more than 40 per cent of total seafood export value. Shrimp’s growth was mainly driven by strong demand from mainland China and Hong Kong, particularly for lobster.

Pangasius exports reached about $1.1 billion, up 12.1 per cent, benefiting from competitive prices and stable demand for white-flesh fish in many markets.

According to Hằng, exporters could face the risk of additional protectionist measures from the US, including possible new barriers related to forced labour regulations and potential quotas on some seafood products.

Rising global refrigerated container freight rates are another major challenge, she added.

She urged seafood exporters to regularly update market information for export plans, diversify market and increase deep processing to maintain growth.