Vietnam Industry and Trade News Bulletin for January 29, 2026

A. POSITIVE INFORMATION

Announcement: Mr. Hoang Minh Chien, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (MoIT), announced at a press conference on Jan 29 that the Spring Fair 2026 will take place from Feb 2 to Feb 13 at the Vietnam Exhibition Center (VEC).
Theme: “Connecting Prosperity – Welcoming a Glorious Spring”.
Scale: This is the first “super fair” of national scale in Vietnam, following the success of the Autumn Fair 2025. It is designed as a cross-Vietnam spring journey with 8 thematic zones, with Ho Chi Minh City as the central hub.
Goals:
- Stimulate consumption and develop the domestic market during the peak Tet season.
- Connect production – distribution – market and expand domestic supply chains.
- Promote Vietnamese brands and cultural values.

2025 Performance: The Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso) reported that 2025 footwear exports reached nearly 29 billion USD, up 5% year-on-year.
Global Position: Vietnam maintains its position as the world’s 3rd largest producer and 2nd largest exporter of footwear.
Industry Scale: ~3,000 enterprises with nearly 1.5 million workers; production output of 1.3 – 1.4 billion pairs/year.
Structure: FDI sector contributed 22.82 billion USD (80% of total, +17%); Domestic enterprises reached 5.84 billion USD (+29%).
Key Markets:
- USA: Largest partner with 11.01 billion USD.
- EU: 6.88 billion USD (Netherlands leads with 2.11 billion USD).
- Others: China (1.78 billion USD), Japan (1.61 billion USD), South Korea (776 million USD).
- CPTPP: Japan is the largest importer, followed by Canada ($816M), Mexico ($737M), and Australia ($537M).

New Resolution: The Government issued Resolution 66.13/2026/NQ-CP (effective Jan 27, 2026, until no later than Feb 28, 2027) regulating standard declarations for food products.
Scope:
- Mandatory Declaration: Pre-packaged processed foods, food additives, micronutrients, health supplements, medical nutrition foods, foods for special diets, and nutritional products for children up to 36 months.
- Exemptions: Products/materials for export only; materials for internal production not for domestic sale; goods for scientific research or testing.
Requirements:
- Test results must be valid within 12 months, issued by ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs.
- Products can only be sold after the declaration dossier is published on the agency’s website/public service system.

Decision: On Jan 28 (US time), the Federal Reserve kept interest rates at 3.5% – 3.75%, matching market expectations.
Outlook: Chairman Jerome Powell noted improved growth prospects (Q3 GDP +4.4%, Q4 est. +5.4%). The Fed will likely maintain current rates through the first half of 2026 (“strategic pause”).
Inflation: Remains around 3%, higher than the 2% target, but pressures are expected to be temporary.

2025 Review: Peak capacity (Pmax) reached 54,370 MW (+11%), consumption 325 billion kWh (+4.7%). Supply was ensured despite rapid peak load growth.
2026 Plan: Three growth scenarios: Base (>8%), Operating (11.7%), and High (14%). NSMO will adjust plans monthly.
EV Impact: By 2030, ~1 million EVs are expected, consuming 3-4 billion kWh (1-1.5% of total load). The grid can meet this demand.
Urban Overload Risk: MoIT acknowledges risks of local overload in big cities due to charging stations.
- Short-term: Install more transformers.
- Long-term: Adjust urban/transport planning to integrate charging infrastructure.

Draft Policy: A new draft decree proposes giving pricing autonomy to key traders, distributors, and independent retailers.
Mechanism: Enterprises calculate and list retail prices based on MoIT’s formula and input costs.
Oversight: Prices must be reported online to the national petrol management system (connected to the Ministry of Public Security). 17,200 stations will be monitored via a commercial infrastructure map.
Debate:
- Supporters: Mr. Bui Ngoc Bao (Vietnam Petroleum Association) argues this allows prices to reflect market reality, preventing situations where businesses must sell below cost (as happened when prices dropped 10-15% but regulation lagged). It encourages competition at the retail level.
- Concerns: Without strict oversight, prices might “anchor” to the rates of dominant players (Petrolimex, PVOil), reducing true competition.

Safety: Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan affirmed that E10 gasoline (10% ethanol) is safe for vehicles, based on expert consultations.
New Decree: Expected to be issued in February, fundamentally changing price management (giving autonomy to businesses) and cutting administrative procedures.
Price Stabilization Fund: Will be centralized into a single state account (not budget). Enterprises cannot use it at will; strict criteria approved by the Prime Minister will apply.