Three Vietnamese companies receive certificates to grow crops in Indonesia

Vietnamese lobster – Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

The other two are still in the process of resubmitting verifications for their lobster farming operations, said Capture Fisheries Tb. CEO Haeru Rahayu.

Tempo magazine previously reported that the five companies were Aquagreen Trading Company Limited, Phu Gia Long Trading Joint Stock Company, Ichika Joint Stock Company, The Global Trading Company Limited and New World Seafood Trading Import Export Aquaculture Company Limited.

They have established five limited liability companies in Indonesia: PT Mutagreen Aquaculture International, PT Ratuworld Aquaculture International, PT Gajaya Aquaculture International, PT Idovin Aquaculture International and PT Idichi Aquaculture International.

Of the five companies, only three have obtained permits for overseas cultivation and export. These three companies are Mutagreen Aquaculture International, Ratuworld Aquaculture International and Gajaya Aquaculture International.

In addition, Haeru did not clarify how much lobster quota will be cultivated by authorized companies. However, he explained that the establishment of a clear lobster seed quota must refer to the Decree of the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries No. 28 of 2024.

Vietnamese companies want to continue to exploit the southwestern Chinese market

The China-South Asia (CSA) Expo and the 28th Kunming Import and Export Fair in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, are a good opportunity for Vietnamese companies to seek partners and promote exports to the 350 million-strong market in southwest China, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Visitors to a booth presenting Vietnamese products (photo: VNA)

This year, Vietnam sent 61 enterprises and provincial units to the event, which was held from July 23 to 28, to set up 124 booths showcasing a variety of products, especially agricultural products.

Pham Thi Thu Hien, director of Quang Ninh Seafood Trading and Production Co. Ltd, said this is the first time Quang Ninh has sent a delegation to the event, aiming to find trade partners and explore Yunnan’s demand for more local seafood products in this market.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Yunnan’s demand for Vietnamese products has expanded from wooden furniture and handicrafts to agricultural products, processed foods and footwear. Meanwhile, Vietnamese companies are paying increasing attention to this potential market.

Ha Duc Binh, director of the Industrial Development and Trade Promotion Center at the Department of Industry and Trade of Lao Cai Province, said that under the cooperation program between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Yunnan administration, enterprises from Lao Cai and Vietnam receive support from the ministry every year to participate in the CSA Expo and Kunming Import and Export Fair.

This is a good opportunity for Vietnamese companies to introduce their products, especially fruits and endemic agricultural products, to the market, and also to introduce Vietnamese agricultural products to Chinese consumers.

According to Binh, at present, the connection between the border towns of Vietnam and China is becoming increasingly smooth, which creates favorable conditions for Vietnamese export products to reach the southwestern Chinese market.

Vietnam’s export revenue to China has grown in recent years, and is expected to grow by at least 15% this year.

Vietnamese people spend almost VND150 trillion on online shopping

Tiktok Shop and Shopee saw revenue growth of 150.54% and 65.96% in the first half of this year. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese consumers spent VND143.9 trillion ($5.68 billion) to purchase 1.53 million items on five e-commerce platforms in the first half of this year, up 54.91% and 65.55% compared with the same period last year, the Vietnam News Agency reported, citing a report by market analysis firm Metric.

As stated in the report, these figures show that Vietnam has a strong e-commerce market and that retailers are able to take advantage of online shopping trends.

However, Metric stressed that the growth was mainly due to TikTok Shop and Shopee.

Only Tiktok Shop and Shopee recorded positive revenue growth rates of 150.54% and 65.96%, respectively, during the period.

Meanwhile, Lazada, Tiki, and Sendo all saw negative growth in both revenue and sales volume. The report indicated that Lazada’s revenue fell by 43.81%, while Tiki’s fell by 48.55%.

Metric reported that both Shopee and Tiktok Shop successfully capitalized on the live streaming shopping trend, and notably, the number of shopping malls increased by 12.29% during the period.

Only one Vietnamese brand, Vinamilk, was among the top 10 brands in e-commerce revenue, highlighting the need for domestic brands to develop business strategies that will enable them to compete in the domestic e-commerce market.

Metric forecasts that demand for school supplies priced below VND50,000 per item will increase in August and early September, as the new school year begins.

Ho Chi Minh City Launches Free Walking Tour

The free walking tour will officially begin every day from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting July 22.

Tourists taking part in the walk checked in at the City Post Office. (Photo: Vnexpress)

Ho Chi Minh City Free Walking Tour offers domestic and foreign tourists access to famous attractions such as Nguyen Hue Walking Street, City People’s Committee, Ho Chi Minh City Symphony – Music and Dance Theater, City Post Office and the Reunification Palace. The tour ends with a free lunch with many delicious specialties at Ben Thanh Market.

Previously, the southern city also had free walking tours organized by Vietravel on weekends from Friday to Sunday. These tours start at 4:00 PM and last 2-3 hours. They start at the City Post Office or the War Remnants Museum. Tourists and tour guides walk to the attractions and listen to instructions in English.

On Fridays and Saturdays, tours take in the city’s post office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Dong Khoi Street to the Municipal Theatre, the Municipal People’s Committee and Ben Thanh Market.

The Sunday tour begins at the War Remnants Museum and continues to the Reunification Hall, Municipal Museum, Ben Thanh Market, Indian Pagoda, Underground Food Court at 23/9 Park and Bui Vien Street.

The city’s Tourism Department says the new walking tour program is helping to enrich the downtown tourism product. Visitors to the city named after Uncle Ho can take tours of the downtown on foot, by river or by double-decker bus.

Vietnam maintains position as Singapore’s fifth seafood export partner

Statistics from the first six months of the year show that Vietnam’s seafood exports have maintained their position as Singapore’s fifth largest partner, a position they have maintained for two consecutive quarters. This highlights the important role of Vietnamese seafood in this market.

Seafood processing workers at the enterprise. (Photo: thesaigontimes.vn)

Vietnam News Agency reported that in the first half of 2024, the export turnover of Vietnamese seafood to the Singapore market increased by 0.81%, accounting for a 9.46% market share. The group that recorded a strong increase in export turnover is fresh fish with a result of 25.42%. Meanwhile, some items recorded a sharp decline in export value compared to the same period last year, such as frozen fresh fish (26.93%), frozen fish (39.42%) and aquatic products (23.08%).

The Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Singapore said that in order to sustainably increase the market share, ranking as well as the export value of seafood from Vietnam to Singapore, Vietnamese export enterprises need to continue to improve the quality of seafood products.

Businesses should also participate in activities involving Singaporean seafood associations and enterprises to create conditions for Vietnamese goods to enter this market.

Singapore Business Administration statistics for the first half of 2024 show that Singapore imported seafood from about 100 countries and territories. The import turnover was about S$546.14 million, down 3.42% compared with the same period in 2023.

Among the top 15 seafood exporting countries to Singapore, Malaysia topped the list, followed by Norway, Indonesia and China. This is the first time that Vietnam has maintained the 5th position for two consecutive quarters./.