The Covid-19 pandemic is a major upheaval, but also an opportunity for the agro-forestry-fishery sector to diversify export markets, avoiding dependence on traditional markets.

Since it took effect in Vietnam just over a year ago, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has created both pressures and opportunities for domestic businesses and sectors.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh recently spoke with ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi about economic recovery plans for the bloc and maintaining regional supply chains in the post Covid-19 period, as well as the next steps to cope with the pandemic. Following the discussion, the minister spoke with the media.

Japanese experts are set to arrive in Việt Nam on June 3 to examine and supervise phytosanitary measures for the lychees destined for the Northeast Asian market, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)

Vietnam exported a total of 2.9 million tonnes of rice in the first five months of 2020, bringing in US$1.41 billion, an increase of 5.1% in volume and 18.9 percent in value.

Japanese experts were set to arrive in Vietnam on June 3 for an unusual visit to examine and supervise phytosanitary measures for lychees in order to allow the first shipment ever of the fruit to the northeastern Asian market following five years of negotiations, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Effective solutions devised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade have helped stabilize export turnover of agricultural products amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Tran Quoc Toan, deputy director of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, talked about agricultural exports in an interview with Vietnam Economic News’ Nguyen Hanh.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many sectors including Vietnam's shrimp industry, and despite some positive indicators, the prospects of this major Vietnamese export are unclear yet.

Although Vietnamese-Chinese trade has been growing, Vietnamese exports have only accounted for a small percentage of the bilateral trade value. Vietnam needs to decrease the trade deficit if it is to reach sustainable trade with this market.

Attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) is key to reviving the economy, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told participants at a recent conference in Hanoi themed “Working together, overcoming challenges, seizing opportunities, restoring the economy”.

Agriculture in the Mekong Delta has suffered three major disasters within a short period, including extreme climatic effects such as drought and saltwater intrusion, animal husbandry disease and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In a bid to boost economic recovery, the 12 regional provinces are seeking to stabilize growth and increase agro-fishery exports.

The European Union (EU) will eliminate tariffson Vietnamese fresh and frozen tuna products as soon as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) comes into effect.