VCCI President Vu Tien Loc speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)
Can Tho (VNA) – The annual Mekong Delta EconomicReport, the fir🍸st of its kind, was announced during a ceremony in the MekongDelta cit🌞y of Can Tho on December 14.
It has been so far the most comprehensive report jointly made bythe Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Fulbright School ofPublic Policy and Management. Speaking at the event, VCCI President, Vice Chairman of the Administrative Reform Council of the Prime Minister and headof the Steering Committee for Mekong Delta Economic Report Vu Tien Loc saidVietnam is the hardest hit by climate change and rising sea level, with theMekong Delta suffering the most severe impacts nationwide and globally. The Government issued a number of resolutions and policies to sustainablydevelop the Mekong Delta adaptive to climate change. However, theimplementation remains limited due to the lack of orientations to regionaldevelopment and a coordination mechanism to ensure joint work among regionallocalities. With five chapters, the report focuses on an overview of theVietnamese economy, 10-year development of the Mekong Delta economy, regionalcompetitiveness based on analysis of natural conditions, infrastructure, humanresources, local competitiveness, sectors of strength and regional potential in agriculture, processing industry, energy and logistics. It alsomentions shortcomings and challenges to regional development, thereby issuingpolicy recommendations for the near future. According to the report, the Mekong Delta’s contributions to thegross domestic product have fallen strongly over the past three decades becauseit only focuses on agriculture and rice production to ensure national foodsecurity instead of switching to sectors with higher productivity. The region’s migration to Ho Chi Minh City and the southeast hasalso been alarming. Its immigration was the lowest nationwide with 4.9 percentduring the 2009-2019 period while migration highest at 44.8 percent. Its labour productivity remains low due to the shortage offoreign direct investment. Meanwhile, its urbanisation only rose slightly from22.8 percent to 25.1 percent in a decade compared to the country’s rise to 34.4percent from 29.6 percent. The report also suggested replacing intensive farming systems witheffective and eco-friendly farming models and changing the priority order offarming structure to seafood-fruit-rice from rice-seafood-fruit./.
The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang has seen a rebound in domestic tourism and the number of visitors is expected to rise during the upcoming New Year and Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays.
The number of species of wild birds, fish, and plants in the Mekong Delta has fallen rapidly in recent years because of a decline in food resources and natural habitats.
Despite the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, growers in the two biggest flower villages in the Mekong Delta -- Cho Lach in Ben Tre province and Sa Dec in Dong Thap province -- have been preparing new varieties of flowers for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays.
The Mekong Delta has recently attracted many large projects worth trillions to tens of trillions of VND, which are promoting economic development there.
The new Government decree also simplifies loan procedures while expanding credit incentives to include organic and circular agriculture, allowing them to access preferential terms similar to those of high-tech and value-chain based agricultural production.
Developed with state-of-the-art infrastructure, the Da Nang FTZ is designed to become a leading regional economic centre and a strategic growth pole in Vietnam’s new development landscape.
The Binh Duong Association of Supporting Industries (BASI) is expected to promote the usage of domestically manufactured components while supporting businesses in accessing international markets, strengthening linkages, and promoting deeper integration into global supply chains.
PwC Vietnam forecasts a vibrant M&A market in Vietnam’s healthcare sector in 2025, driven by rising demand for high-quality medical services and a growing middle class. Pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals, and specialised medical facilities, particularly in ophthalmology and oncology, are predicted to be key targets for M&A.
The central province of Quang Nam is set to become a hub for the medicinal plant industry, with Ngoc Linh ginseng designated as the core crop, under the Prime Minister's decision issued earlier this year.
The North-South Expressway project is scheduled for completion by 2030, aiming to establish the groundwork for Vietnam’s modern railway industry and stimulate regional economic development, positioning the country for a significant economic leap in the era of national rise.
The probe, initiated on June 11 following a petition by the US Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, targets products classified under HS Code 4412 and 9403 imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways was born as a perfect piece in Sun Group’s strategic vision to build a premium ecosystem of tourism, entertainment, real estate, and aviation. With a pioneering ambition, Sun PhuQuoc Airways is not just an airline, but a symbol of connection – bringing the world to Phu Quoc and taking Phu Quoc to the world.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
VCCI President Vu Tien Loc speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) 
