Vietnam reported a trade deficit of US$100 million in January, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Customs departments are keeping a close watch on investment shifts from foreign countries, especially China, into Vietnam to prevent product origin fraud and illegal transshipments.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Up to 20,000 electric cars made by Renault will be shipped to Vietnam within the next five years by the Mai Linh Group.

 China's imports in August fell 14.3% in yuan-denominated terms from a year ago, while exports fell by 6.1%.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Tenders might be invited for determining the sugar import quota this year, instead of it being allocated as in the previous years, to ensure transparency.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Starting next year, enterprises and individuals can import used ships for dismantlement for scrap steel if they meet environment requirements set by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Government wants to start cultivating new strains of genetically-modified (GM) crops next year with a target to expand the area under cultivation of GM crops

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnamese economy is poised for ‘exponential’ strong growth with the signing of a number of free trade agreements (FTA) in the offing.

VietNamNet Bridge – President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is paying a working visit to Vietnam from May 18-20 at the invitation of President Truong Tan Sang, which aims to embrace bilateral economic ties.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the biggest importer of Vietnamese phone and phone accessories, with growth of over 100 per cent year-on-year since 2010.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam Waste Solutions Inc. can be able to import recyclable scrap on a pilot basis after Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang signaled the green light while he was touring the firm’s facility

 VietNamNet Bridge – Despite Vietnam’s call for investment from Japanese small and medium enterprises to develop supporting industries, Japanese investors have complained that unclear regulations limiting the import of used machinery

 VietNamNet Bridge – Being the biggest rice exporter in the world, Vietnam’s rice production faces high risks: it imports rice varieties, fertilizer from China and exports big amounts of products to the country.

Ignoring suggestions by relevant ministries and domestic sugar manufacturers, the Ministry of Industry and Trade sticks to its opinion that it is necessary to maintain the activities of temporary import for re-export.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A lot of used information technology products subject to the import ban regulation have still been getting through the customs agencies and available at the domestic shops.

The Vietnamese, who eagerly expected Samsung Galaxy S4, have expressed their disappointment about the blockbuster product.

The draft decree of pecuniary penalty on the violations in seafood trade says the fine of up to VND100 million would be imposed on the institutions which join forces with foreign merchants to collect aquatic materials in the domestic market.

Vietnam has been not only importing the products it needs, but the products it can make as well.

The self-regulating kidney dialysis machine created by Dr. Vu Duy Hai from the Hanoi University of Technology and his research team, is believed to help Vietnam save VND700 billion a year.