Vietnam Industry and Trade News Bulletin for November 18, 2025

A. POSITIVE NEWS

1. Institutional Reform in Industry & Trade: Shifting to “Leading and Creating Development” At the seminar “MoIT Innovates Thinking, Breakthroughs in Legal Institutions” on November 17, experts praised the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) for its institutional reforms.

• Achievements: In the 2021-2025 period, MoIT presided over the drafting of over 250 legal documents and 20 strategies/plans. 2025 saw the highest number of documents issued in recent terms .
• Key Laws: Major laws passed include the Oil and Gas Law, Consumer Rights Protection Law, Electricity Law, and revisions to the Law on Chemicals and Law on Efficient Energy Use.
• Admin Reform: abolished 95 administrative procedures and simplified 347 others. 100% of procedures are available online at level 3 or 4 .
• Future Focus: MoIT is urgently drafting the Key Industries Law and E-commerce Law to create frameworks for new sectors.

B. GENERAL ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS

1. Vietnam Proposes Oil Transit Depot with Kuwait During Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s official visit to Kuwait on November 17, the two nations agreed to upgrade relations to a Strategic Partnership. Vietnam proposed a project for an oil and gas transit depot with Kuwait to enhance energy cooperation .

2. “Double Lever” for Net Zero: Green Taxonomy & 2% Interest Support Vietnam is operationalizing its Net Zero 2050 commitment through a combination of the Green Taxonomy (Decision 21/2025/QD-TTg) and a 2% interest rate support policy from the state budget. This mechanism aims to share risks and make green projects, especially for SMEs, financially feasible. Experts suggest a digital ecosystem to ensure transparency in disbursement .

3. Risk of Fake Gold on Black Market As gold demand rises (“gold thirst”), experts warn of high risks of buying fake gold on the black market. To end smuggling and reduce the domestic-international price gap, experts recommend establishing a formal gold exchange soon .

C. ENERGY

1. E10 Biofuel Roadmap: Is the Market Ready? With over 6 months left until E10 biofuel becomes mandatory nationwide (June 1, 2026), replacing mineral gasoline, debates continue.

• Readiness: MoIT affirms that major wholesalers (Petrolimex, PVOil) are ready with infrastructure.
• Concerns: Retailers argue the timeline is too short for widespread implementation, fearing that smaller businesses might be forced out of the market, leaving only major players .

2. Up to 20 Million VND Fine for Unreported Rooftop Solar MoIT’s draft decree on penalties in the electricity sector proposes fines of up to 100 million VND for individuals (200 million for organizations) for violations. Notably, installing rooftop solar power without notifying authorities could result in fines up to 20 million VND. Violators must also remedy consequences .

3. Vietnam-Japan Clean Energy Cooperation (AZEC) On November 17, MoIT and the Japanese Embassy held the 4th High-Level Meeting of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC). The “AZEC/GX Promotion Working Group” was established to improve the investment environment for decarbonization. Pilot projects were selected for the “Project Support Platform” (PAP) in March 2025 .

D. EXPORT – IMPORT

1. Vietnam-Singapore Trade Hits Record In the first 10 months of 2025, bilateral trade reached 33 billion SGD (approx. $25.3 billion), a new record. Vietnam maintains its position as Singapore’s 10th largest trading partner .

2. Exports to UK Exceed $7 Billion Under the UKVFTA, exports to the UK have surged, reaching over $7 billion. Key beneficiaries include textiles, footwear, and seafood. Vietnam’s exports to the UK have grown at an average of 10% per year, outperforming general growth to the EU27 .

E. INDUSTRY

1. Supporting Industries Stuck in “Industry 2.0” Experts warn that Vietnam’s supporting industries lack innovation, with many factories still using outdated machinery (Industry 2.0 level) and focusing on short-term, low-cost processing. To join global value chains, businesses must increase technology content. MoIT plans 4 major solution groups involving the State, businesses, and institutes to solve this .

F. TRADE REMEDIES

1. Review of Anti-Dumping Measures on Prestressed Steel Cable The Trade Remedies Authority (MoIT) has received a dossier requesting a review of anti-dumping measures on prestressed steel cable products originating from Malaysia, Thailand, and China (Case AD17) .

G. DOMESTIC MARKET & PROMOTION

1. Food Prices Under “Double Pressure” Food prices in HCMC have established a new, higher baseline due to storm-induced supply shortages. Experts predict prices will rise further (5-10%) towards Tet due to anticipation of wage and tax adjustments in 2026. Expanding price stabilization programs to include fresh produce (vegetables) and offering credit for cold storage logistics are recommended solutions .

2. Digital Trade Promotion for Agriculture To compete long-term, the agricultural sector is shifting to a Digital Trade Promotion Ecosystem. This includes creating a digital map of Vietnamese agricultural products to connect with international buyers, similar to the model used for the EVFTA .

3. Vietnam-Laos Trade Fair 2025 The fair will take place from November 20-23 in Vientiane, organized by the Ministries of Defense and Industry & Trade of both nations to promote trade connectivity .