(21-02-2009)
HA NOI — The HCM City Stock Exchange turned in its sixth consecutive day of declines yesterday, with the VN-Index closing off another 0.89 per cent to 252.57 points.
Trading volume topped 7.6 million shares, with a total value of VND138 billion (US$7.8 million). Losers outnumbered advancers by 86 to 58.
Of active shares, Phu My Fertilisers (DPM), PetroVietnam Drilling (PVD) and Vinpearl Tourism and Trading Co (VPL) all managed gains on the day, while others tended to decline. Vincom hit its floor price.
Cable and Telecommunications Materials Co (SAM) was the most active share on the day, with 620,000, nearly matched by Sacombank (STB).
Penny stocks such as Bien Hoa Sugar (BHS), Binh Trieu Construction and Engineering (BTC), Viet-Han Corporation (VHG) and Sai Gon Beverages (Tri) picked up value, keeping the VN-Index from declining further.
Hoang Thach Lan of SME Securities Co said VN-Index could continue to decline to as low as 220 points, depending on the state of the economy.
Long-term investors needed to be patient, choose safe shares and keep a close eye on market changes before making any decision to buy, Lan said.
In Ha Noi, the HASTC-Index hit a new all-time law, as it dropped 1.07 points to close at 84.2. About 4.3 million shares were traded with a total value of VND62.8 billion ($3.5 million), up in volume but down in value from Wednesday’s session.
— VNS
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Vietnam's Garment And Textile Industry: Abundance Of Opportunities!
Vietnam is one of the top 10 garment exporters in the world and the garment and textile industry is the country’s second largest in terms of foreign exchange earnings.
The rise in exports has been quite dramatic since the turn of the century. The export value has increased from $1.9 billion in 2000 to $7.8 billion in 2007. The early figures for 2008 show increasing volumes and values, particularly to the United States which is Vietnam’s largest single export market for garments and textiles, accounting for approximately 54 per cent of Vietnam’s garment exports.
Total industry exports for the year are expected to be greater than $9 billion. Some industry experts predict that exports in this sector will reach $25 billion by 2020.
In addition to being a highly significant contributor to export earnings, the garment and textile sector employs around two million people, of whom 80 per cent are female, many are migrants from the poorer rural provinces. As migrant workers are often responsible for supporting extended families in the countryside, there are potentially millions of lives dependent on the sector’s performance. Significant changes in the sector can have major social impact.
Recent data (2006) from the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Garments, Textiles, Embroidery and Knitting (Agtek) and the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) indicate that there are around 2,000 garment and textile enterprises in Vietnam, including 50 state-owned enterprises (SOEs), 1,400 private enterprises and 450 foreign direct-investment (FDI) enterprises.
Of these, approximately 1,100 companies, including some 200 foreign-invested companies, are based in and around Ho Chi Minh City. Out of 2,000 companies, 1,280 are garment enterprises, 120 are spinning companies, 340 are textile ventures, and the remaining 260 are commerce and service businesses.
The state still plays an important role in the textile sector through its share in the Vinatex group and other SOEs whilst the garment sector has become an increasingly private sector-based industry as SOEs equitise and foreign companies increase their investments.
However, whilst the sector may be large and significant in many ways, the ‘value added’ of the garment industry is low as most raw materials such as fibres, yarns, fabrics and garment accessories are imported. In 2006, fabric imports were worth $2,954 million. Most of the imported textiles have been re-exported as garments.
Buyers from a number of the world’s leading textile and apparel companies have sourced apparel from Vietnam including Express, Hucke, Itochu, JC Penney, Jupitar, Kmart, Kowa, Lee Cooper, Li & Fung, Mast Industries, Nichimen, Nissho Iwai, Otto, Sara Lee, Seidensticker, Sumitomo, Tomen, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, and Wal-Mart. However, the proportion of domestic inputs in final products is still low. In the textile industry, domestic inputs make up only 10 to 15 per cent of total inputs, while the ratio is around 30 per cent in the garment industry.
The government has a clear strategy of increasing the supply of domestically produced inputs such as raw cotton, yarns, fabrics and garment accessories. Its overall aim is to reduce import content to less than 25 per cent by 2010. Investment in modern machinery has soared in recent years, demonstrating convincingly the move towards modern textile manufacturing technology.
The majority of textile and garment exports are destined for the US, followed by the EU and Japan. The increase in export revenue is the result of Vietnam’s integration into the global supply chain in line with the shift in sourcing by retailers from high labour cost centres to low labour cost centres. According to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Vietnam ranks amongst the most attractive manufacturing locations, not only in Asia but in the whole world.
Export markets for Vietnam’s textiles and garments
In 2007, the US represented 58 per cent of Vietnam’s textile and garment exports, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23 per cent during the 2003-2007 period. The European Union and Japan represented 19 per cent and 9 per cent of the exports, growing at a CAGR of 27 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. Germany and the UK are two largest markets in the EU.
The markets are different. The US buyers often require large orders (over 100,000 pieces per order), the EU buyers are looking for small or medium orders (thousands to ten thousands of pieces per order). China is the biggest exporter to the US as it has many large-scale manufacturing facilities capable of producing large orders with significant economies of scale. The US was the toughest in terms of applying quotas and anti-dumping tariffs to exporters, and implemented a monitoring system when the quotas were abolished. The economic recession in the US may result in slowing the growth of exports to the US and, hence, total exports this year.
In the EU market, Vietnam faces increased competition from Eastern Europe, which, although wages are higher than in Asian countries, has no import tax within the EU, has strong design capabilities, allows for fast delivery and has much lower transportation costs.
How much value is added by Vietnamese garment exporters?
Of the $7.8 billion export value in 2007, $6 billion was spent on raw materials. Most exports by the biggest Vietnamese exporters (Vinatex, Viettien, Thanh Cong, 10 Garment and Nha Be) are CMT (Cut-Made-Trim) products, with insignificant contribution by Vietnamese-branded products.
CMT (Cut-Made-Trim) refers to a production practice whereby the buyers, buying agents and buying offices provide Vietnamese firms with all inputs for design, materials and transportation arrangements, while Vietnamese garment manufacturers only cut, make and trim. CMT is the simplest production practice for export and only requires manufacturing capacity and a little designing capacity in making counter-samples.
The CMT production modality allows Vietnamese garment producers to strengthen their operational capacity without committing scarce financial resources or encountering exposure to market risks. Substantial room to improve product quality and delivery conditions exists even under the CMT modality. While Vietnam currently is competitive in the production of garments, productivity of CMT is still low by international standards primarily due to inadequate management practices. Customers for CMT business are usually intermediary agents based in South East Asian countries and territories such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand.
Garment exports are a key element of the export strategies of many emerging economies, including Vietnam. In all cases garment exports started with CMT types of business (a model of work often driven by a lack of available working capital) and a plan to move away from CMT to various levels of Freight On Board (FOB) manufacturing within a five-year period. However, most Vietnamese garment manufacturers (93.6 per cent) are still involved in the CMT or other low value-added operating models where fabric suppliers are appointed by multinational retailers or foreign customers, as they want to ensure the use of the right fabric, consistent quality and timely delivery – demands which cannot be met by Vietnam’s manufacturers.
There are only a few companies working at FOB levels which are successfully exporting to developed markets. In general, they are either foreign or foreign-invested companies. Successful FOB companies also tend to be larger organisations or micro-companies driven by owner-designers. In the highest value adding operating model (called FOB 3), companies produce garments based on their own designs and are responsible for all input elements. This model requires skills and experience that are not normally prevalent in Vietnamese garment companies.
Domestic companies find moving to FOB 3 level particularly difficult as they lack design and branding capacity and have little experience in the international sourcing of appropriate materials. There are, of course, some major exceptions which are successful in ‘designing’ and production for the domestic market, including Saigon 2, Nhat Tan and Hanosimex. These brands tend to be targeted at the low to medium-end of the market, although Viet Tien also has higher-end brands, San Sciaro for men and T-T Up for women, some of which are designed by design consultants rather than a fully skilled, full-time, in-house design team employed by the company.
Other key challenges and opportunities for the industry?
Operating margin squeeze and declining profitability are other key issues facing Vietnamese garment manufacturers. The following trends contributed to declining profitability. The increasing costs of labour as a result of repeated increases in the minimum wage in line with continuing GDP growth, increasing costs of raw materials and utilities as a result of increasing oil prices and inflation; increasing costs of financing due to the increased interest rates brought in by the government to fight inflation and revenue reduction due to the depreciation of the US dollar.
According to an official from Agtek, many Vietnamese garment producers are reconsidering the future potential of their industry. An estimated 50 per cent of Agtek members have no plans to expand their operations, while 20 per cent want to slash garment production.
Currently 65 per cent of the domestic production of garments is intended for foreign buyers. Facing increasing competition in the global market, Vietnamese garment companies are now shifting their focus from conquering export markets to the domestic market, realising that they had ignored and thereby missed local opportunities for many years.
Garment imports increased by 30 per cent in 2007 as a result of the tax cuts on clothing imports implemented as part of Vietnam’s WTO commitments. Most competition was from cheap and deluxe garments from China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore. More competition is expected in 2009, when the retail industry will be deregulated and global retailers are expected to enter the market en masse, importing branded garments manufactured in other Asian countries.
As mentioned earlier, the garment companies in Vietnam rely heavily on imports, reducing the flexibility and competitiveness of Vietnam’s garment industry. It is clear that domestic garment manufacturers would prefer to source fabric locally if it met their specifications. It is this unsatisfied demand from the local garment producers that provides an opportunity for domestic textile companies to upgrade their manufacturing capacity and target the large domestic market.
While Vietnam’s garment technology is not far from international standard, 30 per cent of textile equipment is 20 years behind, according to industry experts, requiring massive capital investment if domestic textile manufacturers want to become internationally competitive. Hence, the majority of future investments are intended for the textile, rather than the garment sector.
While the government plans to invest around $3 billion in developing the textile and garment sector during the run-up to 2010, Vinatex plans to invest an additional $1 billion to develop its production and distribution systems, fashion design and infrastructure. Vinatex, together with the Vietnamese petroleum giant, PetroVietnam, has already commenced building a $200 million synthetic fibre plant in northern Haiphong, a port city. The plant would initially produce 500 tonnes per day, aiming to provide a spectacular 40 per cent of the materials for domestic yarn production by 2011.
Vietnamese government efforts to increase domestic production of fibre have also resulted in an increase in foreign investment in this sector. Taiwan’s Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corporation, for example, has invested $309 million in expanding its textile base in Vietnam. It is aiming to add nylon fibre and yarn production – which is, in turn, expected to attract Taiwanese downstream textile manufacturers to form a production cluster.
Phong Phu and International Textile Group (Burlington Worldwide) have also entered into a $80 million joint venture to build a state-of-the-art cotton manufacturing complex in Danang. A local textile manufacturer that can produce high-quality fabric acceptable to foreign buyers of Vietnamese-produced garments will have a huge domestic customer base to serve.
Such companies need to have a strategy to identify their target markets and to initiate and develop long term co-operative relations with domestic customers. They should also cultivate importers’ confidence in their products by upgrading quality, improving client contact, reducing delivery times and becoming more transparent in terms of labour and environmental practices.
- Zoya Vassilieva is a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, leading its strategy practice in Thailand and Vietnam. She welcomes your comments and questions at zoya.vassilieva@th.pwc.com
Source: Vietnam Investment Review
The rise in exports has been quite dramatic since the turn of the century. The export value has increased from $1.9 billion in 2000 to $7.8 billion in 2007. The early figures for 2008 show increasing volumes and values, particularly to the United States which is Vietnam’s largest single export market for garments and textiles, accounting for approximately 54 per cent of Vietnam’s garment exports.
Total industry exports for the year are expected to be greater than $9 billion. Some industry experts predict that exports in this sector will reach $25 billion by 2020.
In addition to being a highly significant contributor to export earnings, the garment and textile sector employs around two million people, of whom 80 per cent are female, many are migrants from the poorer rural provinces. As migrant workers are often responsible for supporting extended families in the countryside, there are potentially millions of lives dependent on the sector’s performance. Significant changes in the sector can have major social impact.
Recent data (2006) from the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Garments, Textiles, Embroidery and Knitting (Agtek) and the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas) indicate that there are around 2,000 garment and textile enterprises in Vietnam, including 50 state-owned enterprises (SOEs), 1,400 private enterprises and 450 foreign direct-investment (FDI) enterprises.
Of these, approximately 1,100 companies, including some 200 foreign-invested companies, are based in and around Ho Chi Minh City. Out of 2,000 companies, 1,280 are garment enterprises, 120 are spinning companies, 340 are textile ventures, and the remaining 260 are commerce and service businesses.
The state still plays an important role in the textile sector through its share in the Vinatex group and other SOEs whilst the garment sector has become an increasingly private sector-based industry as SOEs equitise and foreign companies increase their investments.
However, whilst the sector may be large and significant in many ways, the ‘value added’ of the garment industry is low as most raw materials such as fibres, yarns, fabrics and garment accessories are imported. In 2006, fabric imports were worth $2,954 million. Most of the imported textiles have been re-exported as garments.
Buyers from a number of the world’s leading textile and apparel companies have sourced apparel from Vietnam including Express, Hucke, Itochu, JC Penney, Jupitar, Kmart, Kowa, Lee Cooper, Li & Fung, Mast Industries, Nichimen, Nissho Iwai, Otto, Sara Lee, Seidensticker, Sumitomo, Tomen, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, and Wal-Mart. However, the proportion of domestic inputs in final products is still low. In the textile industry, domestic inputs make up only 10 to 15 per cent of total inputs, while the ratio is around 30 per cent in the garment industry.
The government has a clear strategy of increasing the supply of domestically produced inputs such as raw cotton, yarns, fabrics and garment accessories. Its overall aim is to reduce import content to less than 25 per cent by 2010. Investment in modern machinery has soared in recent years, demonstrating convincingly the move towards modern textile manufacturing technology.
The majority of textile and garment exports are destined for the US, followed by the EU and Japan. The increase in export revenue is the result of Vietnam’s integration into the global supply chain in line with the shift in sourcing by retailers from high labour cost centres to low labour cost centres. According to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Vietnam ranks amongst the most attractive manufacturing locations, not only in Asia but in the whole world.
Export markets for Vietnam’s textiles and garments
In 2007, the US represented 58 per cent of Vietnam’s textile and garment exports, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23 per cent during the 2003-2007 period. The European Union and Japan represented 19 per cent and 9 per cent of the exports, growing at a CAGR of 27 per cent and 8 per cent respectively. Germany and the UK are two largest markets in the EU.
The markets are different. The US buyers often require large orders (over 100,000 pieces per order), the EU buyers are looking for small or medium orders (thousands to ten thousands of pieces per order). China is the biggest exporter to the US as it has many large-scale manufacturing facilities capable of producing large orders with significant economies of scale. The US was the toughest in terms of applying quotas and anti-dumping tariffs to exporters, and implemented a monitoring system when the quotas were abolished. The economic recession in the US may result in slowing the growth of exports to the US and, hence, total exports this year.
In the EU market, Vietnam faces increased competition from Eastern Europe, which, although wages are higher than in Asian countries, has no import tax within the EU, has strong design capabilities, allows for fast delivery and has much lower transportation costs.
How much value is added by Vietnamese garment exporters?
Of the $7.8 billion export value in 2007, $6 billion was spent on raw materials. Most exports by the biggest Vietnamese exporters (Vinatex, Viettien, Thanh Cong, 10 Garment and Nha Be) are CMT (Cut-Made-Trim) products, with insignificant contribution by Vietnamese-branded products.
CMT (Cut-Made-Trim) refers to a production practice whereby the buyers, buying agents and buying offices provide Vietnamese firms with all inputs for design, materials and transportation arrangements, while Vietnamese garment manufacturers only cut, make and trim. CMT is the simplest production practice for export and only requires manufacturing capacity and a little designing capacity in making counter-samples.
The CMT production modality allows Vietnamese garment producers to strengthen their operational capacity without committing scarce financial resources or encountering exposure to market risks. Substantial room to improve product quality and delivery conditions exists even under the CMT modality. While Vietnam currently is competitive in the production of garments, productivity of CMT is still low by international standards primarily due to inadequate management practices. Customers for CMT business are usually intermediary agents based in South East Asian countries and territories such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand.
Garment exports are a key element of the export strategies of many emerging economies, including Vietnam. In all cases garment exports started with CMT types of business (a model of work often driven by a lack of available working capital) and a plan to move away from CMT to various levels of Freight On Board (FOB) manufacturing within a five-year period. However, most Vietnamese garment manufacturers (93.6 per cent) are still involved in the CMT or other low value-added operating models where fabric suppliers are appointed by multinational retailers or foreign customers, as they want to ensure the use of the right fabric, consistent quality and timely delivery – demands which cannot be met by Vietnam’s manufacturers.
There are only a few companies working at FOB levels which are successfully exporting to developed markets. In general, they are either foreign or foreign-invested companies. Successful FOB companies also tend to be larger organisations or micro-companies driven by owner-designers. In the highest value adding operating model (called FOB 3), companies produce garments based on their own designs and are responsible for all input elements. This model requires skills and experience that are not normally prevalent in Vietnamese garment companies.
Domestic companies find moving to FOB 3 level particularly difficult as they lack design and branding capacity and have little experience in the international sourcing of appropriate materials. There are, of course, some major exceptions which are successful in ‘designing’ and production for the domestic market, including Saigon 2, Nhat Tan and Hanosimex. These brands tend to be targeted at the low to medium-end of the market, although Viet Tien also has higher-end brands, San Sciaro for men and T-T Up for women, some of which are designed by design consultants rather than a fully skilled, full-time, in-house design team employed by the company.
Other key challenges and opportunities for the industry?
Operating margin squeeze and declining profitability are other key issues facing Vietnamese garment manufacturers. The following trends contributed to declining profitability. The increasing costs of labour as a result of repeated increases in the minimum wage in line with continuing GDP growth, increasing costs of raw materials and utilities as a result of increasing oil prices and inflation; increasing costs of financing due to the increased interest rates brought in by the government to fight inflation and revenue reduction due to the depreciation of the US dollar.
According to an official from Agtek, many Vietnamese garment producers are reconsidering the future potential of their industry. An estimated 50 per cent of Agtek members have no plans to expand their operations, while 20 per cent want to slash garment production.
Currently 65 per cent of the domestic production of garments is intended for foreign buyers. Facing increasing competition in the global market, Vietnamese garment companies are now shifting their focus from conquering export markets to the domestic market, realising that they had ignored and thereby missed local opportunities for many years.
Garment imports increased by 30 per cent in 2007 as a result of the tax cuts on clothing imports implemented as part of Vietnam’s WTO commitments. Most competition was from cheap and deluxe garments from China, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Singapore. More competition is expected in 2009, when the retail industry will be deregulated and global retailers are expected to enter the market en masse, importing branded garments manufactured in other Asian countries.
As mentioned earlier, the garment companies in Vietnam rely heavily on imports, reducing the flexibility and competitiveness of Vietnam’s garment industry. It is clear that domestic garment manufacturers would prefer to source fabric locally if it met their specifications. It is this unsatisfied demand from the local garment producers that provides an opportunity for domestic textile companies to upgrade their manufacturing capacity and target the large domestic market.
While Vietnam’s garment technology is not far from international standard, 30 per cent of textile equipment is 20 years behind, according to industry experts, requiring massive capital investment if domestic textile manufacturers want to become internationally competitive. Hence, the majority of future investments are intended for the textile, rather than the garment sector.
While the government plans to invest around $3 billion in developing the textile and garment sector during the run-up to 2010, Vinatex plans to invest an additional $1 billion to develop its production and distribution systems, fashion design and infrastructure. Vinatex, together with the Vietnamese petroleum giant, PetroVietnam, has already commenced building a $200 million synthetic fibre plant in northern Haiphong, a port city. The plant would initially produce 500 tonnes per day, aiming to provide a spectacular 40 per cent of the materials for domestic yarn production by 2011.
Vietnamese government efforts to increase domestic production of fibre have also resulted in an increase in foreign investment in this sector. Taiwan’s Formosa Chemicals and Fibre Corporation, for example, has invested $309 million in expanding its textile base in Vietnam. It is aiming to add nylon fibre and yarn production – which is, in turn, expected to attract Taiwanese downstream textile manufacturers to form a production cluster.
Phong Phu and International Textile Group (Burlington Worldwide) have also entered into a $80 million joint venture to build a state-of-the-art cotton manufacturing complex in Danang. A local textile manufacturer that can produce high-quality fabric acceptable to foreign buyers of Vietnamese-produced garments will have a huge domestic customer base to serve.
Such companies need to have a strategy to identify their target markets and to initiate and develop long term co-operative relations with domestic customers. They should also cultivate importers’ confidence in their products by upgrading quality, improving client contact, reducing delivery times and becoming more transparent in terms of labour and environmental practices.
- Zoya Vassilieva is a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, leading its strategy practice in Thailand and Vietnam. She welcomes your comments and questions at zoya.vassilieva@th.pwc.com
Source: Vietnam Investment Review
Importers: Procedures For Effective Importation From Vietnam (2)
LOGISTICSImport Logistics
1. Banking and Finance
Credit institutions operating and existing in Vietnam include state owned banks, commercial, investment and development banks, joint-stock or share holding banks, branches or representative offices of overseas banks, and finance companies. All transactions in foreign currency (trading, lending and transferring) must be carried out through credit institutions licensed to operate in Vietnam.
2. Transport and shipping
A number of highway, bridge and tunnel infrastructure developments have been planned to start and be completed between 2007 and 2010. International ports and related infrastructure projects will allow the cost efficient and timely export of containerized cargo.
2.1. Waterway
Vietnam has 3,260km coastline has 126 ports; of which 24 handle ocean cargo.
Vietnam has no deep water port facilities in the country; currently we only offer smaller feeder ships of less than 25,000 deadweight tones (approximately 1,600TEU Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit for container ships). Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Cai Lan, Qui Nhon and Da Nang ports have regular weekly container services by all leading shipping companies.
Ho Chi Minh City, through which more than 70 percent of Vietnam’s container throughput passes, is a critical gateway for both imports and exports.
Mekong Delta area has many potential to develop container transportation with good conditions of the river system. Inland Water transportation is constantly growing and expands from HCMC to other areas in Mekong Delta, Dong Nai and Cambodia in coming years.
2.2. Roads and Railway
Vietnam has 3,260 km railway and 177,300 km road. Vietnam shares borders with Laos, Cambodia and China, making it easier to establish a multimodal logistics chain.
2.3. Airway
Vietnam has 3 international airports & 18 domestic airports
The country’s 21 airports are operated by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAVV). To meet growing needs, the Government plans to develop a total of 18 domestic and six international airports by 2015, at an estimated cost of US$7.2 billion.
The earlier development of the new international airport at Long Thanh in the province of Dong Nai next to Ho Chi Minh City will bring about much needed additional capacity.
2.4. Freight services
Statistics from the Vietnam Freight Forwarders Association showed there were about 900 goods transport businesses in the country with an average registered capital of VND1.5 billion (US$90,500) each. About 80 percent of those businesses were private companies, some of which have limited capital of VND300 million to VND500 million ($18,100-30,166).
Most of the Vietnamese businesses in the logistics sector do not have yet representative offices in foreign countries and thus they cannot link into the worldwide logistics network. The services they are able to provide include completing customs paperwork or renting warehouses for international logistics providers
3. Trade support Services
There are many organizations to provide considerable general services to those doing business in the country, both Vietnamese and foreigners. To find a local partner, foreign enterprises can gain information about business network through local Chambers of Commerce and Industry associations.
The major Chamber of Commerce for Vietnamese enterprises is the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), which is headquartered in Hanoi and has branches throughout Vietnam. VCCI members include state-owned enterprises (SOE’s), joint stock companies, and private firms in a variety of sectors.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the Investment & Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) can also make introductions to prospective partners. Another channel for finding a local partner is through local industry associations, since most key industries in Vietnam have formed associations. A number of private consultant companies have also developed matching services.
3.1. Dealing with trade problems
For trade dispute cases, the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre at the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VIAC) is the resource when foreign and Vietnamese partners seek arbitration in settling disputes.
3.2. Quality Testing
Certificates of Control, i.e. attesting to the fact that products meet necessary quality standards, are issued by the Vietnam Superintendence and Inspection Company or Vinacontrol.
Vietnam’s standards system consists of over 5,800 standards. Specific information about product specific standards may be provided by Vietnamese importers or customers. Otherwise this information can be sought from the relevant ministry or government management body responsible for the country’s standards, such as the Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ) of Ministry of Science and Technology. Vietnam’s weights and measure standards are based on the metric system. The electric current is AC 50 cycles, 220/380. The electric utility system of Vietnam is being standardized at three phases, 220/380 volts, four wires.
3.3. Intellectual Property
Patents and trademark can be protected in Vietnam since the country is a signatory of the Paris Convention and is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation It has acceded to the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, and in 2004 joined the Berne Convention
- ITPC
1. Banking and Finance
Credit institutions operating and existing in Vietnam include state owned banks, commercial, investment and development banks, joint-stock or share holding banks, branches or representative offices of overseas banks, and finance companies. All transactions in foreign currency (trading, lending and transferring) must be carried out through credit institutions licensed to operate in Vietnam.
2. Transport and shipping
A number of highway, bridge and tunnel infrastructure developments have been planned to start and be completed between 2007 and 2010. International ports and related infrastructure projects will allow the cost efficient and timely export of containerized cargo.
2.1. Waterway
Vietnam has 3,260km coastline has 126 ports; of which 24 handle ocean cargo.
Vietnam has no deep water port facilities in the country; currently we only offer smaller feeder ships of less than 25,000 deadweight tones (approximately 1,600TEU Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit for container ships). Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Cai Lan, Qui Nhon and Da Nang ports have regular weekly container services by all leading shipping companies.
Ho Chi Minh City, through which more than 70 percent of Vietnam’s container throughput passes, is a critical gateway for both imports and exports.
Mekong Delta area has many potential to develop container transportation with good conditions of the river system. Inland Water transportation is constantly growing and expands from HCMC to other areas in Mekong Delta, Dong Nai and Cambodia in coming years.
2.2. Roads and Railway
Vietnam has 3,260 km railway and 177,300 km road. Vietnam shares borders with Laos, Cambodia and China, making it easier to establish a multimodal logistics chain.
2.3. Airway
Vietnam has 3 international airports & 18 domestic airports
The country’s 21 airports are operated by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAVV). To meet growing needs, the Government plans to develop a total of 18 domestic and six international airports by 2015, at an estimated cost of US$7.2 billion.
The earlier development of the new international airport at Long Thanh in the province of Dong Nai next to Ho Chi Minh City will bring about much needed additional capacity.
2.4. Freight services
Statistics from the Vietnam Freight Forwarders Association showed there were about 900 goods transport businesses in the country with an average registered capital of VND1.5 billion (US$90,500) each. About 80 percent of those businesses were private companies, some of which have limited capital of VND300 million to VND500 million ($18,100-30,166).
Most of the Vietnamese businesses in the logistics sector do not have yet representative offices in foreign countries and thus they cannot link into the worldwide logistics network. The services they are able to provide include completing customs paperwork or renting warehouses for international logistics providers
3. Trade support Services
There are many organizations to provide considerable general services to those doing business in the country, both Vietnamese and foreigners. To find a local partner, foreign enterprises can gain information about business network through local Chambers of Commerce and Industry associations.
The major Chamber of Commerce for Vietnamese enterprises is the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), which is headquartered in Hanoi and has branches throughout Vietnam. VCCI members include state-owned enterprises (SOE’s), joint stock companies, and private firms in a variety of sectors.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the Investment & Trade Promotion Center (ITPC) can also make introductions to prospective partners. Another channel for finding a local partner is through local industry associations, since most key industries in Vietnam have formed associations. A number of private consultant companies have also developed matching services.
3.1. Dealing with trade problems
For trade dispute cases, the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre at the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VIAC) is the resource when foreign and Vietnamese partners seek arbitration in settling disputes.
3.2. Quality Testing
Certificates of Control, i.e. attesting to the fact that products meet necessary quality standards, are issued by the Vietnam Superintendence and Inspection Company or Vinacontrol.
Vietnam’s standards system consists of over 5,800 standards. Specific information about product specific standards may be provided by Vietnamese importers or customers. Otherwise this information can be sought from the relevant ministry or government management body responsible for the country’s standards, such as the Directorate for Standards and Quality (STAMEQ) of Ministry of Science and Technology. Vietnam’s weights and measure standards are based on the metric system. The electric current is AC 50 cycles, 220/380. The electric utility system of Vietnam is being standardized at three phases, 220/380 volts, four wires.
3.3. Intellectual Property
Patents and trademark can be protected in Vietnam since the country is a signatory of the Paris Convention and is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation It has acceded to the Patent Cooperation Treaty and the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, and in 2004 joined the Berne Convention
- ITPC
Vietnam Economy Under Spotlight!
VIETNAM IN GENERAL
WTO accession January 11, 2007
Population: 87 Million
GDP 2007: $70 billion US
GDP Growth 2007: 8.5 %
Literacy Rate: ~90%*
1. Overview of Vietnam’s economy
1.1 OverviewVietnam has made progress over the past 10 years in moving from a planned economy to a market economy, opening up to foreign investment, maintaining consistent rapid growth and now targeting entry into the World Trade Organization in 2005. The shift away from a centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented economic model improved the quality of life for many Vietnamese.
Helpful sources
• Central Economic Management Institute: Overview of Vietnam’s economy; Review on Vietnam’s economy 2007
• World Bank: Vietnam Development Report
1.2 Vietnam’s major imports - 2007
At present, EU is our second import market behind U.S and o¬ne of the Vietnam’s four biggest import markets. Major exports were remained such as garment-textile, aquatic and plastic products, wooden furniture, coffee, handicrafts. Vietnam has had trade surplus to EU for many years, demonstrating that EU is the major import market of Vietnam, helping Vietnam increase the export turnover in the following years.
Table 2: Key trading partners of Vietnam – 2007
Import (US$ mill) Export (US$ mill)
China: 3,659 US: 7,500
Singapore: 3,534 EU: 5,148
Japan: 3,510 Japan: 3,738
Taiwan: 2,437 China: 3,495
Korea: 2,286 Australia: 2,329
USA: 500
Table 3: Vietnam’s export earnings in 2007
2007 2007 vs. 2006 (%)
Total 48387 121.5
• Domestic sector 20555 122.3
• FDI sector 27832 120.9
Table 4: Main products for exportation in 2007 (1,000 tons/million US$)
2007 2007 vs. 2006 (%)
Crude oil 15081 8477 91.9 102.6
Coal 32535 1018 111.0 111.3
Textile 7784 133.4
Footgear 3963 110.3
Handbag, wallet, suitcase, hat, umbrella 635 126.2
Electronics, computer 2178 127.5
Rattan, bamboo, rush, carpet 218 113.6
Porcelain, ceramic 330 120.4
Precious stones & metals 201 122.2
Electric wires & cables 884 125.4
Plastic products 725 151.4
Bicycle & spare parts 79 67.4
Vegetable & animal oil/fat 47 310.0
Children toys 77 116.3
Instant noodle 80 116.5
Rice 4500 1454 96.9 113.9
Coffee 1194 1854 121.8 152.3
Fruits & vegetables 299 115.4
Rubber 719 1400 101.6 108.8
Pepper 86 282 73.4 147.8
Cashew nut 153 649 120.4 128.9
Tea 114 131 107.8 118.4
Wooden products 2364 122.3
Seafood 3792 112.9
Helpful source:
• General Statistics Office of Vietnam: Vietnam Development Report
WTO accession January 11, 2007
Population: 87 Million
GDP 2007: $70 billion US
GDP Growth 2007: 8.5 %
Literacy Rate: ~90%*
1. Overview of Vietnam’s economy
1.1 OverviewVietnam has made progress over the past 10 years in moving from a planned economy to a market economy, opening up to foreign investment, maintaining consistent rapid growth and now targeting entry into the World Trade Organization in 2005. The shift away from a centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented economic model improved the quality of life for many Vietnamese.
Helpful sources
• Central Economic Management Institute: Overview of Vietnam’s economy; Review on Vietnam’s economy 2007
• World Bank: Vietnam Development Report
1.2 Vietnam’s major imports - 2007
At present, EU is our second import market behind U.S and o¬ne of the Vietnam’s four biggest import markets. Major exports were remained such as garment-textile, aquatic and plastic products, wooden furniture, coffee, handicrafts. Vietnam has had trade surplus to EU for many years, demonstrating that EU is the major import market of Vietnam, helping Vietnam increase the export turnover in the following years.
Table 2: Key trading partners of Vietnam – 2007
Import (US$ mill) Export (US$ mill)
China: 3,659 US: 7,500
Singapore: 3,534 EU: 5,148
Japan: 3,510 Japan: 3,738
Taiwan: 2,437 China: 3,495
Korea: 2,286 Australia: 2,329
USA: 500
Table 3: Vietnam’s export earnings in 2007
2007 2007 vs. 2006 (%)
Total 48387 121.5
• Domestic sector 20555 122.3
• FDI sector 27832 120.9
Table 4: Main products for exportation in 2007 (1,000 tons/million US$)
2007 2007 vs. 2006 (%)
Crude oil 15081 8477 91.9 102.6
Coal 32535 1018 111.0 111.3
Textile 7784 133.4
Footgear 3963 110.3
Handbag, wallet, suitcase, hat, umbrella 635 126.2
Electronics, computer 2178 127.5
Rattan, bamboo, rush, carpet 218 113.6
Porcelain, ceramic 330 120.4
Precious stones & metals 201 122.2
Electric wires & cables 884 125.4
Plastic products 725 151.4
Bicycle & spare parts 79 67.4
Vegetable & animal oil/fat 47 310.0
Children toys 77 116.3
Instant noodle 80 116.5
Rice 4500 1454 96.9 113.9
Coffee 1194 1854 121.8 152.3
Fruits & vegetables 299 115.4
Rubber 719 1400 101.6 108.8
Pepper 86 282 73.4 147.8
Cashew nut 153 649 120.4 128.9
Tea 114 131 107.8 118.4
Wooden products 2364 122.3
Seafood 3792 112.9
Helpful source:
• General Statistics Office of Vietnam: Vietnam Development Report
Your First Trip To Vietnam? Business or Tour !
Vietnam at a glance
Location: Southeast Asia
Area: 330,991 sq. Km
Capital: Hanoi
Deltas: Red River Delta in the North and Mekong River Delta in the South
Main Cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh, Hue, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Vung Tau.
Banks: 77
Telecoms: 2 million telephones (2.6 sets per 100 persons)
Export Processing Zones: 3
Industrial parks: 154
Hotels: 3,050 with 55,600 rooms including 500 international standard hotels
Universities and colleges: 109 with 297,900 students
Technical workers: 58,700
1. Visa
A visa is necessary to visit Vietnam from most countries. Business and tourist visas for Vietnam are available and can be obtained from Vietnamese diplomatic or consular offices in foreign countries upon submission of:
(i) an application form,
(ii) photographs,
(iii) a passport (valid for at least 6 months) and
(iv) an invitation letter (or other documents indicating the purpose of the visit).
No later than five days after the fulfillment of formalities for a visa application, entry visas will be issued by an office managing entry and exit under the Ministry of Police, a consular office under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a foreign representative diplomatic office, or a Vietnamese consulate overseas.
Passport holders from some countries with whom Vietnam has signed bilateral agreements with, including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Laos, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Philippines do not need an entry visa for a definite stay.
If a foreigner wishes to enter the country for fact-finding or exporting the possibilities of doing business or is arriving for the first time, tourist visas should most likely be appropriate. Tourist visas obtained through travel agents are valid from thirty (30) days to six (6) months and cannot be extended in Vietnam.
Foreigners entering Vietnam without an invitation from any agency, organization or individual are only issued a 15–day visa.
Foreign investors, including their relatives, who enter Vietnam to implement licensed investment projects may be granted a single-entry visa or a multiple-entry visa valid for use within a period not exceeding five (5) years.
Upon expiry of the period of a visa, if the person holding the visa still needs to enter and exit Vietnam, he or she must complete the application procedures for a new visa.
2. Arrival
On arrival, you must make a written customs declaration and an entry/exit form. Your will be given copies of these documents. Keep them carefully because you have to present them when leaving the country. You could face fines or other hassles if losing it.
Keep your baggage claim stickers (attached to your air-tickets) in order to get your luggage out of the airport.
Customs regulations
• Tan Son Nhat airport is making use of the dual channel system for passenger baggage inspection. Passengers may choose either the green or red channel for customs clearance.
Passengers not carrying restricted or prohibited articles may go through the green channel. Personal belongings of gold, silver, precious metals, gemstone and foreign currencies not falling into the duty-free baggage will be subject to the foreign exchange control by the Government.
• Visitors should also declare other valuables like cameras, camcorders, computers and other electronic equipment not for personal use, but foreign and Vietnamese currency equivalent to under US $3,000 and VND 5 million respectively need not be declared. There is no restriction on books or other printed matter except for pornographic or politically sensitive materials. However, books and other media like video cassette tapes or discs must be screened. CDs and tapes will be returned in a few days after screening. It is illegal to remove antiques from Vietnam.
• Mineral water, soft drinks... (other than alcoholic beverage) are allowed to carry in a reasonable quantity. Tobacco and cigarettes are prohibited from import, any excess of permitted amount will be confiscated. Duty-free allowances are 200 cigarettes, two litres of alcohol, and perfume and jewelry for personal use.
• Temporary import of goods for the trip must make a customs declaration at the port of entry. Such goods must be re-exported when you leave the country.
Flight information
Operation Control Center: (04)8865318 in Noi Bai (Ha Noi); (08)8446662 in Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Lost and found
Lost and Found Service: (04)8840008 or 8865013 in Noi Bai; (08)8446662 ext: 7461 in Tan Son Nhat.
3. Getting around in Vietnam
Travel within Vietnam is becoming easier with domestic flight, trains, buses and cruises to all cities. Air travel has also been upgraded to international standard, a round trip ticket between HCMC and Hanoi is currently about $190 for economy class and $260 for business class. International departure tax is $12.00. Vietnam Airlines and Jetstart Pacific are the only carriers allowed to fly domestic routes.
Trains and buses in Vietnam have extensive routes and offer a cheap way to travel. A car with a driver is also an option for transportation, it can be rented for between $25 and $100 per day including cost for driver. Cars can be booked through most major hotels or tour companies.
• Taxis in Ho Chi Minh City
Mai Linh Taxi (white) : 8226666
Airport Taxi (white) : 8446666
Saigon Taxi (blue) : 8424242
Saigon Taxi (white) : 8226688
Saigon Tourist Taxi (red) : 8222206
Star Taxi (white with yellow stripe) : 8636363
Tanaco Taxi (red) : 8226226
Taxico (white) : 8350350
Vina Taxi (yellow) : 8422888
• Taxis in Ha Noi City
In Ha Noi, a cab ride from Noi Bai airport to the center city costs approximately USD15.
Airport : 8254250
Cienco Taxi : 8555888
City Taxi : 8222222
Duong Sat Taxi : 8645645
Five Star Taxi : 8555555
Hanoi Taxi : 8533171
Red Taxi : 8568686
Taxi 25 : 8252525
Taxi 52 : 8525252
Taxi CP : 8241999
Taxi Tai : 8731313
4. Climate
Vietnam is located between 9 and 23 degrees north. Eastern Vietnam has a long coastline on the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea. It has a tropical monsoon type of climate; from May-Sep the south monsoon sets in, and the country is dominated by south to southeasterly winds. From Oct-April, the north monsoon is dominant with northerly to northeasterly winds affecting the country. There is a transition period between each monsoon season when winds are light and variable.
Vietnam has a single rainy season during the south monsoon (May-Sep).
Rainfall is infrequent and light during the remainder of the year. Rainfall is abundant, with annual rainfall exceeding 1000mm almost everywhere. Annual rainfall is even higher in the hills, especially those facing the sea, in the range of 2000-2500mm.
For coastal areas and the parts of the central highlands facing northeast, the season of maximum rainfall is during the south monsoon, from Sep-Jan. These regions receive torrential rain from typhoons which move in from the South China Sea at this time of the year. The weather at this time is cloudy with frequent drizzle.
During the north monsoon, northern Vietnam has cloudy days with occasional light rain, while southern Vietnam tends to be dry and sunny.
Temperatures are high all year round for southern and central Vietnam; but northern Vietnam has a definite cooler season as the north monsoon occasionally adverts cold air in from China. Frost and some snow may occur on the highest mountains in the north for a few days a year. In the southern Vietnam, the lowlands are sheltered from outbreaks of colder northerly air and the dry season is warm to hot with much sunshine.
5. Language
Vietnamese is the official language. Use of English is becoming more common, especially in the larger cities and in the rapidly expanding tourism sector. English is widely understood in Vietnam, particularly in HCMC and major cities. French is also spoken in some areas while Chinese is spoken by many living in Cho Lon town.
If you hire an interpreter, make sure he/she has knowledge of the northern or southern language as the accent and pronunciation is quite different.
The Vietnamese are very polite people and will often smile and agree with you when in fact they may not have fully understood what you have said.
6. Currency
Vietnamese currency is Dong, abbreviated as VND. Bank note denominations are 200; 500; 1,000; 2,000; 5,000; 10,000; 20,000; 50,000; 100,000 and 500,000 dong. The 2,000 and 5,000 notes predominate in circulation. Coins come in denominations of 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 dong in Vietnam now.
Using ATM machine is becoming common in large cities and you can get money exchange in most major metropolitan areas. Credit cards are increasingly accepted at major hotels, some restaurants and a few shops but are not widely used in other establishments.
7. Clothing
In summer, temperatures are generally hot throughout Vietnam. Lightweight cotton clothing is best. If you intend to stay in Hanoi in winter or to visit mountainous areas, warm clothes should be needed. A suit and a cravat are expected for formal occasions. A shirt with a cravat is quite sufficient all year in HCMC and the South or in the hot weather of the North.
8. Telecommunications
International Direct Dial (IDD) and fax services are available at post offices and most business standard hotels. Communication costs in Vietnam have declined significantly in recent years.
Internet services can be accessed through hotel business centers or from a growing number of Internet cafes.
International Roaming for mobile telecommunications is available in Vietnam for users from many countries (usually those that share Vietnam's GSM standard). All international postal services are available.
9. Food and drink
Within tourist areas, a wide range of food acceptable to the international palate is freely available, restaurants are usually clean and menus often have English translations. Elsewhere, the variety is far less, dishes and menus are often unrecognizable and preparation and eating areas are a long way from international standards of hygiene.
Apart from the most expensive establishments, hotel food is nearly always offered as a buffet with a mixture of Asian and international dishes. Although the quality may be good, the variety is often unimaginative. Haivenu usually leaves you to your own devices in the evening so that you can choose the type of food and level of restaurant that you prefer.
10. Accommodation
Most of the major destinations have sufficient accommodation. Both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have top class hotels, as does Ha Long Bay, Sapa, Nha Trang and Hue. Most of hotel rooms are mostly of a pretty high standard with air-con, hot water often being standard and rooms are frequently cleaned daily.
11. Time – Business hour - Public Holidays
Vietnam is twelve hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 11 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. Vietnam consists of a single time zone. During the weekdays, business hours are typically 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a onehour lunch break. On Saturdays, work hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Vietnamese Government offices have recently moved to a 5-day workweek and are no longer open on Saturdays.
During the Lunar New Year, falling in January or February, business and Government activities in Vietnam come to a virtual standstill for the weeklong Tet holidays. Business travel at this time is not advised.
o Western New Year: January 1
o Lunar New Year: 4 days
o Kings Hung’s Anniversary (10th of the lunar third month)
o Victory Day: April 30
o International Labor Day: May 1
National Day: September 2
- ITPC
Location: Southeast Asia
Area: 330,991 sq. Km
Capital: Hanoi
Deltas: Red River Delta in the North and Mekong River Delta in the South
Main Cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh, Hue, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Vung Tau.
Banks: 77
Telecoms: 2 million telephones (2.6 sets per 100 persons)
Export Processing Zones: 3
Industrial parks: 154
Hotels: 3,050 with 55,600 rooms including 500 international standard hotels
Universities and colleges: 109 with 297,900 students
Technical workers: 58,700
1. Visa
A visa is necessary to visit Vietnam from most countries. Business and tourist visas for Vietnam are available and can be obtained from Vietnamese diplomatic or consular offices in foreign countries upon submission of:
(i) an application form,
(ii) photographs,
(iii) a passport (valid for at least 6 months) and
(iv) an invitation letter (or other documents indicating the purpose of the visit).
No later than five days after the fulfillment of formalities for a visa application, entry visas will be issued by an office managing entry and exit under the Ministry of Police, a consular office under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a foreign representative diplomatic office, or a Vietnamese consulate overseas.
Passport holders from some countries with whom Vietnam has signed bilateral agreements with, including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Laos, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Philippines do not need an entry visa for a definite stay.
If a foreigner wishes to enter the country for fact-finding or exporting the possibilities of doing business or is arriving for the first time, tourist visas should most likely be appropriate. Tourist visas obtained through travel agents are valid from thirty (30) days to six (6) months and cannot be extended in Vietnam.
Foreigners entering Vietnam without an invitation from any agency, organization or individual are only issued a 15–day visa.
Foreign investors, including their relatives, who enter Vietnam to implement licensed investment projects may be granted a single-entry visa or a multiple-entry visa valid for use within a period not exceeding five (5) years.
Upon expiry of the period of a visa, if the person holding the visa still needs to enter and exit Vietnam, he or she must complete the application procedures for a new visa.
2. Arrival
On arrival, you must make a written customs declaration and an entry/exit form. Your will be given copies of these documents. Keep them carefully because you have to present them when leaving the country. You could face fines or other hassles if losing it.
Keep your baggage claim stickers (attached to your air-tickets) in order to get your luggage out of the airport.
Customs regulations
• Tan Son Nhat airport is making use of the dual channel system for passenger baggage inspection. Passengers may choose either the green or red channel for customs clearance.
Passengers not carrying restricted or prohibited articles may go through the green channel. Personal belongings of gold, silver, precious metals, gemstone and foreign currencies not falling into the duty-free baggage will be subject to the foreign exchange control by the Government.
• Visitors should also declare other valuables like cameras, camcorders, computers and other electronic equipment not for personal use, but foreign and Vietnamese currency equivalent to under US $3,000 and VND 5 million respectively need not be declared. There is no restriction on books or other printed matter except for pornographic or politically sensitive materials. However, books and other media like video cassette tapes or discs must be screened. CDs and tapes will be returned in a few days after screening. It is illegal to remove antiques from Vietnam.
• Mineral water, soft drinks... (other than alcoholic beverage) are allowed to carry in a reasonable quantity. Tobacco and cigarettes are prohibited from import, any excess of permitted amount will be confiscated. Duty-free allowances are 200 cigarettes, two litres of alcohol, and perfume and jewelry for personal use.
• Temporary import of goods for the trip must make a customs declaration at the port of entry. Such goods must be re-exported when you leave the country.
Flight information
Operation Control Center: (04)8865318 in Noi Bai (Ha Noi); (08)8446662 in Tan Son Nhat International Airport.
Lost and found
Lost and Found Service: (04)8840008 or 8865013 in Noi Bai; (08)8446662 ext: 7461 in Tan Son Nhat.
3. Getting around in Vietnam
Travel within Vietnam is becoming easier with domestic flight, trains, buses and cruises to all cities. Air travel has also been upgraded to international standard, a round trip ticket between HCMC and Hanoi is currently about $190 for economy class and $260 for business class. International departure tax is $12.00. Vietnam Airlines and Jetstart Pacific are the only carriers allowed to fly domestic routes.
Trains and buses in Vietnam have extensive routes and offer a cheap way to travel. A car with a driver is also an option for transportation, it can be rented for between $25 and $100 per day including cost for driver. Cars can be booked through most major hotels or tour companies.
• Taxis in Ho Chi Minh City
Mai Linh Taxi (white) : 8226666
Airport Taxi (white) : 8446666
Saigon Taxi (blue) : 8424242
Saigon Taxi (white) : 8226688
Saigon Tourist Taxi (red) : 8222206
Star Taxi (white with yellow stripe) : 8636363
Tanaco Taxi (red) : 8226226
Taxico (white) : 8350350
Vina Taxi (yellow) : 8422888
• Taxis in Ha Noi City
In Ha Noi, a cab ride from Noi Bai airport to the center city costs approximately USD15.
Airport : 8254250
Cienco Taxi : 8555888
City Taxi : 8222222
Duong Sat Taxi : 8645645
Five Star Taxi : 8555555
Hanoi Taxi : 8533171
Red Taxi : 8568686
Taxi 25 : 8252525
Taxi 52 : 8525252
Taxi CP : 8241999
Taxi Tai : 8731313
4. Climate
Vietnam is located between 9 and 23 degrees north. Eastern Vietnam has a long coastline on the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea. It has a tropical monsoon type of climate; from May-Sep the south monsoon sets in, and the country is dominated by south to southeasterly winds. From Oct-April, the north monsoon is dominant with northerly to northeasterly winds affecting the country. There is a transition period between each monsoon season when winds are light and variable.
Vietnam has a single rainy season during the south monsoon (May-Sep).
Rainfall is infrequent and light during the remainder of the year. Rainfall is abundant, with annual rainfall exceeding 1000mm almost everywhere. Annual rainfall is even higher in the hills, especially those facing the sea, in the range of 2000-2500mm.
For coastal areas and the parts of the central highlands facing northeast, the season of maximum rainfall is during the south monsoon, from Sep-Jan. These regions receive torrential rain from typhoons which move in from the South China Sea at this time of the year. The weather at this time is cloudy with frequent drizzle.
During the north monsoon, northern Vietnam has cloudy days with occasional light rain, while southern Vietnam tends to be dry and sunny.
Temperatures are high all year round for southern and central Vietnam; but northern Vietnam has a definite cooler season as the north monsoon occasionally adverts cold air in from China. Frost and some snow may occur on the highest mountains in the north for a few days a year. In the southern Vietnam, the lowlands are sheltered from outbreaks of colder northerly air and the dry season is warm to hot with much sunshine.
5. Language
Vietnamese is the official language. Use of English is becoming more common, especially in the larger cities and in the rapidly expanding tourism sector. English is widely understood in Vietnam, particularly in HCMC and major cities. French is also spoken in some areas while Chinese is spoken by many living in Cho Lon town.
If you hire an interpreter, make sure he/she has knowledge of the northern or southern language as the accent and pronunciation is quite different.
The Vietnamese are very polite people and will often smile and agree with you when in fact they may not have fully understood what you have said.
6. Currency
Vietnamese currency is Dong, abbreviated as VND. Bank note denominations are 200; 500; 1,000; 2,000; 5,000; 10,000; 20,000; 50,000; 100,000 and 500,000 dong. The 2,000 and 5,000 notes predominate in circulation. Coins come in denominations of 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 dong in Vietnam now.
Using ATM machine is becoming common in large cities and you can get money exchange in most major metropolitan areas. Credit cards are increasingly accepted at major hotels, some restaurants and a few shops but are not widely used in other establishments.
7. Clothing
In summer, temperatures are generally hot throughout Vietnam. Lightweight cotton clothing is best. If you intend to stay in Hanoi in winter or to visit mountainous areas, warm clothes should be needed. A suit and a cravat are expected for formal occasions. A shirt with a cravat is quite sufficient all year in HCMC and the South or in the hot weather of the North.
8. Telecommunications
International Direct Dial (IDD) and fax services are available at post offices and most business standard hotels. Communication costs in Vietnam have declined significantly in recent years.
Internet services can be accessed through hotel business centers or from a growing number of Internet cafes.
International Roaming for mobile telecommunications is available in Vietnam for users from many countries (usually those that share Vietnam's GSM standard). All international postal services are available.
9. Food and drink
Within tourist areas, a wide range of food acceptable to the international palate is freely available, restaurants are usually clean and menus often have English translations. Elsewhere, the variety is far less, dishes and menus are often unrecognizable and preparation and eating areas are a long way from international standards of hygiene.
Apart from the most expensive establishments, hotel food is nearly always offered as a buffet with a mixture of Asian and international dishes. Although the quality may be good, the variety is often unimaginative. Haivenu usually leaves you to your own devices in the evening so that you can choose the type of food and level of restaurant that you prefer.
10. Accommodation
Most of the major destinations have sufficient accommodation. Both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have top class hotels, as does Ha Long Bay, Sapa, Nha Trang and Hue. Most of hotel rooms are mostly of a pretty high standard with air-con, hot water often being standard and rooms are frequently cleaned daily.
11. Time – Business hour - Public Holidays
Vietnam is twelve hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 11 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. Vietnam consists of a single time zone. During the weekdays, business hours are typically 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a onehour lunch break. On Saturdays, work hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Vietnamese Government offices have recently moved to a 5-day workweek and are no longer open on Saturdays.
During the Lunar New Year, falling in January or February, business and Government activities in Vietnam come to a virtual standstill for the weeklong Tet holidays. Business travel at this time is not advised.
o Western New Year: January 1
o Lunar New Year: 4 days
o Kings Hung’s Anniversary (10th of the lunar third month)
o Victory Day: April 30
o International Labor Day: May 1
National Day: September 2
- ITPC
IMPORTERS: PROCEDURES FOR EFFECTIVE IMPORTATION FROM VIETNAM (1)
CUSTOMS PROCEDURE
Goods are freely imported or exported from Vietnam provided that they do not fall into the list of goods prohibited from import and export or goods subject to licenses granted from Vietnam’s relevant competent ministries.
Lists of goods subject to licenses of nine ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Resource and Environment and the Ministry of Transports.
1. Customs rulings
An export transaction includes various documents from beginning to finish. Both buyer and supplier should have a clear understanding of the processes and the documentation in detail of how many copies of a particular document have to be submitted at any stage.
Custom dossier consists of:
For trade goods exported, the customs dossier is as same as dossier of common exports, it is not necessary to have paper approved by Ministry of Industry and Trade (except goods belong to the lists of import ban or conditional import)
For goods produced from imported materials, besides prescribed customs dossier, paper of norm of material imported for exportation
For goods temporarily exported for repair or guarantee for a given period, the goods can be re-exported in identified duration in service of the repair guarantee. The enterprise must have the permit of Director of border-gate customs office in writing. In case the re-importation is carried out beyond specified duration with legitimate reasons, the enterprises shall enjoy extended duration; however the extension shall not exceed three months.
2. Customs declaration
The export transaction must be reported to Vietnamese Customs, who check the goods against conditions laid down in the export permit before clearing them
When carrying out customs procedures for exporting goods, the customs declarers must submit and present a customs dossier at the headquarters of Customs Sub-branch and be responsible for legality and lawfulness of customs dossiers and accurateness of declared contents on customs declaration form.
A clear and concise documentation is preferable.
Documents to be submitted and presented:
The export goods declaration forms: 02 originals
The goods purchase and sale contract or papers of equivalent legal value: 01 duplicate
The commercial invoice: 01 original
The bill of lading: 01 duplicate
Documents to be produced:
The business registration certificate: 01 original
The certificate of import/ export business code registration: 01 copy (duplicate or original).
Other regulations on declaration, documents included in the customs dossiers:
The customs declarers may submit the certificate of origin 60 (sixty) days later; other documents belonging to the customs dossiers (excluding customs declaration) 30 (thirty) days later as of the registration of customs declaration form in case where they obtain the approval of the Heads of Customs Sub-Departments.
Before the time the customs officers conduct the actual goods inspection, if the customs declarers made written requests which are approved by the Heads of Customs Sub-Departments, they may withdraw the registered customs declarations for supplementation and/ or amendment or replacements.
The customs declarers may register the customs declaration for the import goods before the goods arrive at the border gates within 15 (fifteen) days, later than this time limit the customs declaration is no longer valid. If goods are imported later than this time limit, the declarer must register the other customs declaration.
If the goods owners who regularly exports and/ or imports the same items of goods within a given period under the same purchase and sale contract may use a single customs declaration (registered once) for carrying out customs procedures for the exportation or importation of such goods items within the delivery time determined in the purchase and sale contracts.
3. Inspection of the goods’ actual condition
Probability inspection of the actual conditions of goods of no more than 10% of goods lot
The subjects applied this probability inspection consist of: The goods owners and the goods of the owners not belonging to the subjects that meet conditions for exemption from actual goods inspections, shall have to be inspected 10% of goods lot before carrying out customs procedures.
Determination of the inspection rate
If the goods are packed in bales, the inspection rate shall be the rate of inspected bales.
If the goods are packed in containers, the inspection rate shall be the rate of inspected containers or the rate of inspected bales in each container.
Inspection of the actual conditions of the whole export or import goods lots
For the goods owners who have been more than three times handled for customs-related violations within two years as of the date of carrying out customs procedures for import activities, and one year, as of the date of carrying out customs procedures for export activities, with the level of each fine falling beyond the sanctioning competence of the Directors of Provincial, inter-provincial, and municipal Departments.
For the export or import goods lots showing signs of violation of the customs legislation.
4. Conditions for goods customs clearance
The declaration of the customs declarer or the results of the State inspection body or expert organization, for goods exempt from actual inspection.
The results of the actual goods inspection by the customs office, for goods subject to actual inspection.
The certificate of registration of State inspection of goods quality, which is issued by the expert organization, or the notice on exemption from State inspection of goods quality, which is issued by a competent State management body, for imports goods subject to State inspection of goods quality.
The expertise results, for goods requiring expertise.
Export goods and import goods not subject to taxes collected by the customs offices, duty-free goods, processed goods, and other special goods shall enjoy customs clearance immediately after there is the customs office’s certification of the goods inspection results on the declaration forms.
Export goods and import goods subject to goods cleared immediately after the customs declarers pay taxes. Goods enjoying grace days of tax payment cleared immediately on the tax notification of the Customs office
- ITPC
Goods are freely imported or exported from Vietnam provided that they do not fall into the list of goods prohibited from import and export or goods subject to licenses granted from Vietnam’s relevant competent ministries.
Lists of goods subject to licenses of nine ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Resource and Environment and the Ministry of Transports.
1. Customs rulings
An export transaction includes various documents from beginning to finish. Both buyer and supplier should have a clear understanding of the processes and the documentation in detail of how many copies of a particular document have to be submitted at any stage.
Custom dossier consists of:
For trade goods exported, the customs dossier is as same as dossier of common exports, it is not necessary to have paper approved by Ministry of Industry and Trade (except goods belong to the lists of import ban or conditional import)
For goods produced from imported materials, besides prescribed customs dossier, paper of norm of material imported for exportation
For goods temporarily exported for repair or guarantee for a given period, the goods can be re-exported in identified duration in service of the repair guarantee. The enterprise must have the permit of Director of border-gate customs office in writing. In case the re-importation is carried out beyond specified duration with legitimate reasons, the enterprises shall enjoy extended duration; however the extension shall not exceed three months.
2. Customs declaration
The export transaction must be reported to Vietnamese Customs, who check the goods against conditions laid down in the export permit before clearing them
When carrying out customs procedures for exporting goods, the customs declarers must submit and present a customs dossier at the headquarters of Customs Sub-branch and be responsible for legality and lawfulness of customs dossiers and accurateness of declared contents on customs declaration form.
A clear and concise documentation is preferable.
Documents to be submitted and presented:
The export goods declaration forms: 02 originals
The goods purchase and sale contract or papers of equivalent legal value: 01 duplicate
The commercial invoice: 01 original
The bill of lading: 01 duplicate
Documents to be produced:
The business registration certificate: 01 original
The certificate of import/ export business code registration: 01 copy (duplicate or original).
Other regulations on declaration, documents included in the customs dossiers:
The customs declarers may submit the certificate of origin 60 (sixty) days later; other documents belonging to the customs dossiers (excluding customs declaration) 30 (thirty) days later as of the registration of customs declaration form in case where they obtain the approval of the Heads of Customs Sub-Departments.
Before the time the customs officers conduct the actual goods inspection, if the customs declarers made written requests which are approved by the Heads of Customs Sub-Departments, they may withdraw the registered customs declarations for supplementation and/ or amendment or replacements.
The customs declarers may register the customs declaration for the import goods before the goods arrive at the border gates within 15 (fifteen) days, later than this time limit the customs declaration is no longer valid. If goods are imported later than this time limit, the declarer must register the other customs declaration.
If the goods owners who regularly exports and/ or imports the same items of goods within a given period under the same purchase and sale contract may use a single customs declaration (registered once) for carrying out customs procedures for the exportation or importation of such goods items within the delivery time determined in the purchase and sale contracts.
3. Inspection of the goods’ actual condition
Probability inspection of the actual conditions of goods of no more than 10% of goods lot
The subjects applied this probability inspection consist of: The goods owners and the goods of the owners not belonging to the subjects that meet conditions for exemption from actual goods inspections, shall have to be inspected 10% of goods lot before carrying out customs procedures.
Determination of the inspection rate
If the goods are packed in bales, the inspection rate shall be the rate of inspected bales.
If the goods are packed in containers, the inspection rate shall be the rate of inspected containers or the rate of inspected bales in each container.
Inspection of the actual conditions of the whole export or import goods lots
For the goods owners who have been more than three times handled for customs-related violations within two years as of the date of carrying out customs procedures for import activities, and one year, as of the date of carrying out customs procedures for export activities, with the level of each fine falling beyond the sanctioning competence of the Directors of Provincial, inter-provincial, and municipal Departments.
For the export or import goods lots showing signs of violation of the customs legislation.
4. Conditions for goods customs clearance
The declaration of the customs declarer or the results of the State inspection body or expert organization, for goods exempt from actual inspection.
The results of the actual goods inspection by the customs office, for goods subject to actual inspection.
The certificate of registration of State inspection of goods quality, which is issued by the expert organization, or the notice on exemption from State inspection of goods quality, which is issued by a competent State management body, for imports goods subject to State inspection of goods quality.
The expertise results, for goods requiring expertise.
Export goods and import goods not subject to taxes collected by the customs offices, duty-free goods, processed goods, and other special goods shall enjoy customs clearance immediately after there is the customs office’s certification of the goods inspection results on the declaration forms.
Export goods and import goods subject to goods cleared immediately after the customs declarers pay taxes. Goods enjoying grace days of tax payment cleared immediately on the tax notification of the Customs office
- ITPC
The 19th Vietnam Expo 2009 to Open in Hanoi in from April 8-11th
The 19th Vietnam International Trade Fair, or VIETNAM EXPO 2009, themed Vietnam: Wide-open Investment Opportunities, will take place in Hanoi from April 8 to 11 .
Vietnam Expo is the biggest annual business event organized by The Ministry of Industry and Trade with the convergence of thousands of business people from Vietnam and abroad.
According to the Ministry of Industry & Trade, the Vietnam Expo this year will be a very significant event for the business people who are now trying to over come big challenges due to worldwide economic recession and at the same time it aims to boost further Vietnam global economic integration.
On projection, Vietnam Expo 2009 will have 800 pavilions, showcasing products from a range of industries as electrics, electronics and telecommunications; industrial mechanics and machinery; construction and construction materials; fashion; agricultural products; service products; handicrafts and fine arts.
A series of seminars on export promotion and marketing and other various activities will be held back- to- back during the stay of the trade fair.
The five-day fair will feature 700 booths representing businesses from Vietnam and 15 foreign countries, Industry and Trade Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Bien said at a press briefing on April 2.
Products and services across a range of industries mechanics and machinery, electrics, electronics and telecommunications, garment and footwear, construction, transportation and cosmetics will be showcased at the expo.
The event will provide an opportunity for enterprises and trade promotion agencies to boost trade.
Countries participating in the expo include Australia , Belgium , Cambodia , China , Cuba , Czech , Indonesia , Laos , Myanmar , Malaysia , Japan , Singapore , Switzerland and the Republic of Korea.
Hanoi (VNA)
Vietnam Expo is the biggest annual business event organized by The Ministry of Industry and Trade with the convergence of thousands of business people from Vietnam and abroad.
According to the Ministry of Industry & Trade, the Vietnam Expo this year will be a very significant event for the business people who are now trying to over come big challenges due to worldwide economic recession and at the same time it aims to boost further Vietnam global economic integration.
On projection, Vietnam Expo 2009 will have 800 pavilions, showcasing products from a range of industries as electrics, electronics and telecommunications; industrial mechanics and machinery; construction and construction materials; fashion; agricultural products; service products; handicrafts and fine arts.
A series of seminars on export promotion and marketing and other various activities will be held back- to- back during the stay of the trade fair.
The five-day fair will feature 700 booths representing businesses from Vietnam and 15 foreign countries, Industry and Trade Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Bien said at a press briefing on April 2.
Products and services across a range of industries mechanics and machinery, electrics, electronics and telecommunications, garment and footwear, construction, transportation and cosmetics will be showcased at the expo.
The event will provide an opportunity for enterprises and trade promotion agencies to boost trade.
Countries participating in the expo include Australia , Belgium , Cambodia , China , Cuba , Czech , Indonesia , Laos , Myanmar , Malaysia , Japan , Singapore , Switzerland and the Republic of Korea.
Hanoi (VNA)
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Mr Pham Van Cong,The Head of Mission and Commercial Counsellor of Vietnam Trade Office in Nigeria,Mr Okoye O. Pius - Ceo, Piskoye Nig. Ltd, Mr Kingsley Chikezie,Sec. Gen., Importers Association of Nigeria And other members at a One day Importers Forum In Lagos.
Cross Section of Attendees Including Mr Pham Van Cong, Mr Okoye O. Pius at a One day Importers Forum organized by CBN's, Technical Committee on the Comprehensive Import supervision Scheme (CISS) in Lagos Nigeria