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13th April 2026

Seafood exports grow 8% in Q1

Vietnam exported US$2.64 billion worth of seafood in the first quarter of 2026, up nearly 8% from a year earlier, largely fueled by strong demand from China.

China remained Vietnam’s largest seafood importer during the quarter, accounting for around $764 million, up nearly 45% year-on-year. In March alone, shipments to the market exceeded $250 million, marking growth of more than 50%, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters.

The country is also the largest consumption market for Vietnamese pangasius.

In the shrimp segment, growth was mostly driven by lobster. Exports of whiteleg shrimp, Vietnam’s key product in the U.S. and EU markets, held steady.

Other seafood categories, including crab, swimming crab and molluscs, benefited from rising demand across Asian markets. Meanwhile, tilapia exports soared 190% year-on-year to an estimated $35 million in the first quarter.

The strong performance in China played a decisive role in maintaining overall sectoral growth amid a decline in exports to several markets.

Seafood exports to the U.S. fell by more than 10% in the quarter due to weak demand and technical barriers, including Certificates of Analysis requirements under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and anti-dumping duties on shrimp. Exports to Japan and South Korea also declined by around 10%.

Shipments to the EU were largely unchanged while those bound for ASEAN, Australia and several emerging markets maintained growth momentum.

According to Le Hang, the association's deputy secretary general, China emerged as the main growth driver thanks to seasonal consumption, stable demand and favorable logistics conditions.

Lunar New Year consumption boosted imports of whole shrimp, live seafood and premium products from late 2025 through early 2026, contributing to sharp increases in high-value items such as lobster.

Demand in China’s mid- and high-end segments also remained resilient. Shrimp imports rose by about 18% in the first two months of the year, partly thanks to tariff changes and supply disruptions affecting lobster supplies from Canada.

Vietnam's geographic proximity and flexible supply chains enabled its exporters to respond quickly to short-term demand surges during peak consumption periods.

However, Hang cautioned that part of the strong growth reflected seasonal factors rather than long-term structural recovery. Increased exports were partly driven by stockpiling and festive demand, meaning growth could moderate in the coming months.

Export turnover in March alone was estimated at around $927 million, a 5% year-on-year increase, slower than the roughly 20% growth recorded in the first two months.

Competitive pressure is also intensifying, especially from major suppliers such as Ecuador, reinforcing the need for Vietnam’s seafood industry to diversify markets.

Nonetheless, the association expects seafood exports to continue expanding in the second quarter, with shrimp and pangasius likely to remain key growth drivers.

Source: VNA

Photo: Photo by VnExpress/An Minh

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ThaiGroup plans $4.9 bln tourism-resort complex in northern Vietnam

12th May 2026

Vietnam’s multi-sector corporation ThaiGroup plans to implement a VND128 trillion ($4.86 billion) tourism and resort complex in the northern province of Ninh Binh, home to the UNESCO-recognized Trang An scenic landscape complex, later this year.

The project is expected span more than 1,000 hectares and include between 15,000 and 20,000 hotel and resort rooms, significantly expanding accommodation capacity in Ninh Binh.

ThaiGroup said the project aims to diversify the province’s tourism offerings beyond traditional heritage tourism by adding large-scale entertainment, leisure and nighttime economy attractions designed to encourage visitors to stay longer.

The company expects the average tourist stay in Ninh Binh could increase to four-five days once the complex is operational.

The firm said the project is intended to help reposition Ninh Binh as an international destination for tourism, entertainment and experiential travel rather than solely a cultural and heritage site.

It estimated that the development may contribute over VND35 trillion ($1.33 billion) in land-use fees to the state budget.

To support the project’s planning and design, ThaiGroup has partnered with U.S.-based architecture and urban planning firms Populous and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).

Ninh Binh, located about 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, has emerged as one of Vietnam’s fastest-growing tourism destinations in recent years, benefiting from its UNESCO-recognized Trang An scenic landscape complex and limestone mountains. The province is also home to Bai Dinh Pagoda – one of the largest Buddhist temple complexs in Southeast Asia.

After an administrative merger with neighboring Ha Nam and Nam Dinh provinces last July, Ninh Binh province now spans 3,642 km2 with a population of over 4.4 million people.

According to the provincial tourism watchdog, Ninh Binh welcomed nearly 9.9 milion tourist arrvials in the first quarter of 2026, including one million foreign visitors.

ThaiGroup, formerly known as Xuan Thanh Group, was founded in 1976 by businessman Nguyen Duc Thuy, also known as “Bau Thuy.” It initially operated in construction and cement production before expanding into real estate, transportation, insurance and financial services.

Samil Pharmaceutical expands manufacturing footprint in Vietnam

12th May 2026

VOV.VN - The Republic of Korea’s Samil Pharmaceutical is expanding its operations in Vietnam to reduce production costs and seek new growth opportunities.

The move comes as the company’s Chairman Heo Seung Beom increases his shareholding to support the company’s third-generation leadership transition.

Established in 1947, Samil Pharmaceutical is widely known in the Republic of Korea for its children’s antipyretic medicine Brupen. It also manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals including Libact, Foributin and Monoprost.

Under its strategic shift, the company is increasingly focusing on overseas production. In 2022, Samil Pharmaceutical completed a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) facility in Vietnam specialising in ophthalmic products.

The plant spans about 24,800 square metres and has an annual production capacity of 330 million eye-drop units.

The company aims to take advantage of lower labour costs in Vietnam to strengthen its price competitiveness. However, the facility has not yet entered full-scale commercial production, as it awaits Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) approvals in key target markets.

Following GMP certification from Vietnamese authorities in 2024, Samil Pharmaceutical is now seeking approval from the RoK’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in the second half of this year. The company said the approval process is expected to take around two to three months.

The unit prices under this Contract shall remain unchanged throughout the contract execution period

12th May 2026

Việt Nam spent approximately US$2.93 billion importing nearly 3.37 million tonnes of petroleum products in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 77.8 per cent in value and over 44 per cent in volume compared to the same period last year.

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's energy imports have increased sharply in the first three months of 2026, reflecting a rapid recovery in domestic consumption demand along with pressure to secure supply in the face of geopolitical instability and global energy price fluctuations.

Data from Việt Nam Customs shows that the country spent approximately US$2.93 billion importing nearly 3.37 million tonnes of petroleum products in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 77.8 per cent in value and over 44 per cent in volume compared to the same period last year.

Aside from refined petroleum products, many other energy products also recorded a sharp increase, including coal imports, which rose by 76.4 per cent to nearly $2.8 billion, and crude oil, which surged by 381 per cent to $2.4 billion.

In the first half of April, the upward trend in imports continued, with import value of crude oil and petroleum products approaching $1.25 billion.

Experts attributed the sharp increase in energy imports this year to the rebound of domestic consumption in the wake of a recovered industrial production. The steel, cement, chemical, thermal power and transportation sectors have all recorded higher fuel consumption compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, domestic energy supply has not met demand. Domestic crude oil production has been declining for many years due to major fields entering a natural depletion phase.

At the same time, the country's two main refineries, Dung Quất and Nghi Sơn, although operating, are still insufficient to fully meet market demand, especially during periods of significant global oil price fluctuations.

Another factor causing the surge in energy imports was the impact of global geopolitical instability. Conflict in the Middle East in the first quarter caused international oil prices to surge at times, leading to escalating energy import costs. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, key businesses have had to significantly increase imports since March to ensure domestic supply and maintain safe inventory levels.

Experts forecast that the trend of sharply increasing energy imports will continue for the next few years as the economy maintains its high growth target, while many gas-fired power, petrochemical and heavy industry projects are put into operation. This will put a significant pressure on trade balance as well as national energy security strategy.

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