The city’s total import-export turnover reached US$60.1 billion in 2024, up 11% year-on-year.

The city will continue to support businesses in exploring new markets, capitalizing on the Free Trade Agreement of which Vietnam is a member.

Local consumers prefer shopping options that offer convenience and assurance of product origin.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the retail price of several fuel varieties has raised on the afternoon of March 11. Accordingly, prices of RON 95 and 92 gasoline jumped 1,616 VND per litre to 17,880 VND while prices of bio fuel E5 gasoline increased by 1,606 VND per litre to 16,950 VND.

The Prime Minister has approved a program on raising the capacity for units supporting small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The program aims to boost SMEs’ development stimulating the national stable and sustainable growth.

On March 10, the General Department of Taxation has signed the agreement with 15 commercial banks to launch a system to share, receive and process tax payment data.

Business opportunities in the US alongside potential challenges were the main focus of a workshop in Hanoi on March 9 which aimed to get Hanoi businesses prepared for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

Vietnam is a friendly and reliable partner of the EU and the Free Trade Agreement being negotiated will promote growth for both sides, a senior European Commission official has said.

Textile and garment exports are set for a boom this year, according to the Vietnam Industrial and Trade Information Centre (VITIC), a Ministry of Industry and Trade agency.

Real roses covered with chocolate and roses with perfumed soap are among the special items selling well in major cities ahead of the International Women`s Day, which falls on March 8.

The Government has decided to increase the price of electricity by 7.5% from March 16 after a Government meeting held in Hanoi on Thursday. Accordingly, the average power price will rise to VND 1,622.05 per kWh.

According to the information of Hanoi People`s Committee on March 5, in the two first months of 2015, the export turnover of Hanoi reached 1,751 million USD, up 9.6% compared with the same period, import turnover gained 3,874 million USD, an increase of 10.9% in the comparison to the same period.

Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang and his Lao counterpart Khemmani Pholsena signed a new cooperation agreement on March 3. Tariffs are scheduled to be eliminated on more than 95 percent of goods from Vietnam and Laos.

Foreign business groups hailed Vietnam and HCM City`s success in attracting FDI and boosting trade at a meeting with the city People`s Committee on March 5.

Seventeen Vietnamese businesses processing and exporting agriculture and aquaculture products are participating in the 40th International Food and Beverage Exhibition in Japan (Foodex Japan 2015), which opened on March 3.

The Vietnam-UK Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO) convened its eighth session in London on March 2 to seek solutions to promote economic and trade ties between the two nations.

Online shopping in Vietnam was continuing to increase and was well-positioned to hold the key to success for e-commerce in the country, according to the MasterCard Survey on Online Shopping 2014.

ASEAN economic ministers affirmed their resolve to conclude the negotiation on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement by the end of this year at a meeting in Malaysia from February 28 to March 1.

Domestic gold demand surged sharply on February 28 in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere as Vietnamese prefer buying the metal to mark the God of Wealth Day – the tenth day of the Lunar New Year.

The countries participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement have set a target of concluding TPP negotiations in 2015 and this is within reach.

According to the municipal General Statistics Office (GSO), Hanoi’s consumer price index (CPI) in February decreased by 0.07% compared last month, but increased to 0.11% against the same period last year.

The establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) late this year will help Vietnamese businesses expand trade exchange, attract investment, speed up exports and approach larger markets.

Vietnam’s exports to China’s special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau grew impressively last year, said Hoang Chi Trung, Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau.