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| Visitors look at products of Viet Tiep Crystal Co Ltd at Ambiente 2024. (Photo: VNA) |
Joining the event, Vietnamese enterprises expect to expand their exports to the EU – a major market of Vietnamese handicraft products that accounts for about 30% of the total.
Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Handicraft Exporter Association Le Ba Ngoc said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict and instabilities in the Middle East and the Red Sea have affected the number of visitors to Ambiente 2024. However, almost all Vietnamese businesses participating in the event won orders.
In the handicraft industry, Vietnam has strengths in bamboo and rattan products. Of the 56 businesses attending Ambiente 2024, nearly 30 involve in bamboo/rattan products. However, their designs are not diverse very much.
On this occasion, Vietnam also aims to introduce to international partners its Vietnam Lifestyle exhibition, scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City in October 2024, Ngoc said.
Ambiente Frankfurt 2024, covering over 360,000 sq.m, attracts nearly 5,000 exhibitors from 170 countries who introduce the latest trends and most innovative consumer products in four display areas - kitchenware, furniture, gifts, and office items. It meets the needs of retailers and end consumers, from materials and equipment to models and solutions.
Vietnam attracts over 2.36 billion USD in FDI in first month of 2024
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| Vietnam attracts over 2.36 billion USD in FDI in the year to January 20, 2024 (Photo: VNA) |
Vietnam had attracted more than 2.36 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) as of January 20, an increase of 40.2% over the same period in 2023, Vietnam News Agency quoted figures of the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
As many as 190 new projects were granted investment registration certificates, a year-on-year rise of 24.2%, with a total registered capital of more than 2 billion USD, 66.9% higher than that of the same period last year.
The sharp increase in the number of projects and the appearance of large-scale projects (with an investment of more than 600 million USD each) were one of the main factors driving the sharp increase in foreign investment capital.
In addition, 75 projects registered to adjust investment capital with more than 235.4 million USD added, down 15.7% and 23.1% respectively.
The month also saw foreign investors contribute more than 116.5 million USD to make 174 share purchases, down 14.7% and 33.1% respectively over the same period last year.
Foreign investors disbursed 1.48 billion USD during the month, a year-on-year increase of 9.6%.
In terms of investment fields, foreign investors invested in 15 industries out of 21 national economic sectors. Of that, the real estate sector attracted the most with more than 1.27 billion USD (53.9%) and the processing and manufacturing industry ranked second with nearly 926 million USD (39.2%). They were followed by the science and technology sector with 65.2 million USD and wholesale and retail with nearly 54.5 million USD.
The wholesale and retail sector attracted the highest number of new projects (accounting for 38.9%) and capital contribution to purchase shares (accounting for 49.4%).
Companies from 39 countries and territories invested in Vietnam in January 2024. Of them, Singapore led with more than 1.4 billion USD, accounting for 59.5% of total investment capital. Japan came second with nearly 297 million USD.
The foreign investors invested in 35 provinces and cities across the country. Hanoi attracted the most FDI this month with over 867 million USD, or 36.7% of the total registered investment capital and 39.7 times higher than the same period in 2023. Ba Ria-Vung Tau ranked second with nearly 282 million USD, followed by Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, and Dong Nai.
Vietnam to sign protocol for avocado and passion fruit exports to China
The country is about to sign a protocol for avocado and passion fruit exports with the General Administration of Customs of China, bringing the total agricultural products exported to the Chinese market in this form to 8, reported VOV News.
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| Vietnam to sign protocol for avocado and passion fruit exports to China. (Photo: VOV) |
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam has currently 13 types of fruits and agricultural products that have been officially exported to China, including dragon fruit, watermelon, banana, lychee, longan, rambutan, jackfruit, mango, mangosteen, durian, and passion fruit, black jelly, and sweet potato.
But up to now, the nation has only had 6 types of fruits and agricultural items exported under the form of protocol signing with China, including mangosteen, black jelly, durian, bananas, sweet potatoes, and watermelon.
The protocol signing for avocado and passion fruit exports will help further increase Vietnam's fruit export turnover to this billion-people market.
Earlier in October 2023, Vietnam's fresh watermelons were also officially shipped to the Chinese market.
According to statistics from the General Department of Customs, China remains the largest export market for Vietnamese fruit and vegetables with last year's turnover reaching US$3.64 billion , an increase of 139.5% compared to 2022 and accounting for 65% of the country's overall fruit and vegetable export turnover.
Notably, durian exports increased sharply after a protocol to export this product with the Chinese market was signed.
Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said that with a population of more than 1.4 billion people and a growing middle class, China is a huge market for many high-quality agro- forestry-fishery products from Vietnam.
However, to take advantage of every opportunity to bolster agricultural exports to China, it is necessary to ensure the quality of Vietnamese agricultural products and reliable trade activities.
Tet celebrations held for Vietnamese in France, Germany
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang (7th from left), other delegates and overseas Vietnamese at the event (Photo: VNA) |
The Vietnamese Embassy in France held a Lunar New Year (Tet) celebration programme at the City Hall of Paris on January 26, with the participation of more than 1,000 overseas Vietnamese in the country, reported Vietnam News Agency.
The event saw the attendance of Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Toan Thang and his spouse, Nguyen Thuy Anh, member of the Party Central Committee, Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Committee for Social Affairs, President of the Vietnam - France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group, Ambassador - head of Vietnam’s delegation to the United Nations Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Nguyen Thi Van Anh, first deputy mayor of Paris in charge of Europe, international affairs and Francophone community Arnaud Grégoire, and others.
In his remarks, Ambassador Thang lauded the contribution of the Vietnamese community and wished them a new year with good health, success and prosperity.
The diplomat emphasised that the year 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties and 10 years of their strategic partnership. It also featured many events, activities and exchanges in all fields and at all levels.
The 12th France-Vietnam Decentralised Cooperation Conference, which took place in Hanoi in April 2023, was a typical example of closeness and diversity in their bilateral relations, he said, expressing his confidence that the close relationship between Vietnam and France in all fields will continue to bear fruits.
For his part, Arnaud Grégoire pledged that Paris will continue to promote cooperation in the C40 network, featuring nearly 100 mayors of the world's leading cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, to help the two countries' cities adapt to climate change in innovative ways.
Participants at the event had a chance to enjoy art performances by the Vietnamese Culture Centre in France.
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| A performance by the Vietnamese Association in Mainz city of Germany's art club (Photo: VNA) |
On January 27, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Frankfurt, Germany also organised a ceremony to welcome the Lunar New Year on January 27.
Speaking at the event, Consul General Nguyen Quynh Phuong reviewed Vietnam's outstanding political, economic and diplomatic achievements in 2023, emphasising that Vietnam's foreign relations are increasingly expanding and its prestige in the international arena is improving.
She said that the relationship between Vietnam and Germany continued to deepen and become more substantive in many fields.
Germany is Vietnam's largest trading partner in the EU and the latter is Germany's largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Their bilateral trade turnover reached nearly 14 billion USD last year.
She underlined the contributions of the Vietnamese community in Germany to Vietnam's overall success, contributing to popularise the images of the country and Vietnamese people. The diplomat also called on the Vietnamese community to continue supporting the activities of the Consulate General, together looking toward their homeland./.