HCM CITY — Although this year’s rate of investment attraction to Viet Nam is lower than last year’s, the country is still the fifth most attractive destination for manufacturing among emerging markets, according to the second annual PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Emerging Market 20 Index.

The index shows that the BRIC countries ( Brazil, Russia, India and China) continue to offer good opportunities for investment. However, the results of PwC’s innovative country risk and reward model also point to a range of other locations as alternatives.

HA NOI — Steel prices are forecast to fall for the rest of the year as demand slackens in the domestic market, according to the Viet Nam Steel Association (VSA).

The association said July steel output was at a record low 250,000 tonnes this year, adding that August steel consumption was even lower at an estimated 200,000 tonnes.

This month, steel producers reported insignificant steel sales. Vinakyoei Steel Co, a leading steel producer from south Viet Nam, sold only 2,000 tonnes of steel in the first 10 days of August.

HCM CITY — In the first seven months of the year, Viet Nam’s seafood export turnover increased by 20 per cent year on year to US$2.4 billion, according to the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP).

Frozen-shrimp export turnover accounted for 32.8 per cent, with tra and basa catfish at 31.9 per cent.

HCM CITY — Ministry officials and experts met on Thursday in HCM City to figure out how to raise a targeted 3.6 million ha under rice cultivation by 2020 in to ensure food security.

Gia Lai (VNA) - The Central Highlands province of Gia Lai should combine economic development with social security such as improving infrastructure, health care and education for the locals, particularly ethnic minority groups, Vice State President Nguyen Thi Doan said.

State group supervision won’t restrict business

A new regulation on the establishment and operation of State-owned economic groups is expected to increase business transparency and ensure the groups’ contributions to the national economy. Head of the Research Board for Enterprise Development under the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) Tran Tien Cuong spoke to Viet Nam News’s reporter Ha Phuong about this issue.

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam ’s seafood export turnover reached nearly 2.4 billion USD in the first seven months of this year, a year-on-year 20 percent increase and the highest growth rate in the past three years.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP), frozen shrimp earned over 784 million USD, accounting for 32.8 percent of the total export turnover and tra and basa catfish fetched close to 763 million USD, or 31.9 percent.

HCM CITY — Twelve key industries will be given top priority in Dong Thap Province’s long-term plan toward 2020.

Among the industries are electronics, IT, equipment manufacture, and textiles and garments.

Tokyo (VNA) - China displaced the US as the biggest importer of goods from Japan for the first time ever since World War II ended.

Japan’s exports to China were up 16.8 percent to 1.286 trillion yen (about 12 billion USD) in July, according to statistics from the Japanese Finance Government announced on August 21. The figure marked the 38 th consecutive month of increase.

HA NOI — A meeting of the Inter-Government Committee between Viet Nam and Uzbekistan on economic, trade, scientific and technological co-operation was held yesterday in Ha Noi.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Le Danh Vinh led the Vietnamese delegation and Deputy Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade Nasridin Nazhimov led the Uzbekistan delegation.