Trade surplus hit over US$3 billion in eight months; Local seed companies lose ground to foreign giants; Seafood exports likely to hit 7 billion USD in 2014; Thailand’s BJC ready to audit Metro after buy-out

Hundreds of Vietnamese enterprises are anxious to organize production and make parts and accessories to provide to Samsung, now that the South Korean giant has stepped up its business in the country.

 VietNamNet Bridge - With import and export volume expected to account for about 50% of the total cargo volume through Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport in the next few years, Samsung has proposed to have its own terminal at the airport.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Samsung and Microsoft this year relocated their smartphone production bases in Vietnam as they have closed factories in other parts of the world.

 Philips, Samsung and Infineon have been fined 138m euros (£110m; $182m) by the European Commission (EC) for fixing prices of chips in used in smartphones.

The emergence and expansion of international technology corporations in Vietnam in the past two years shows an important shift in investment. The Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Foreign Investment Enterprise talks about this trend.

 VietNamNet Bridge - Thanks to its low labor costs, favorable geographic location and its market of nearly 90 million people, Vietnam has received billions of US dollars of investment from giants like Samsung, Intel and LG.

 Ministry requires petrol prices cut on world downward trend; Vietnam enjoys US$1.26 bln Jan-Jul trade surplus; RoK – a leading foreign investor in Vietnam; Samsung Thai Nguyen rakes in US$2 billion from exports

 Footwear sector takes big steps; Japan loans $338m for thermal plant; HSBC: investors do not change view on Vietnam; US to impose anti-dumping duty on steel pipes; Samsung selects Vietnam as site for US$982 million facility

The South Korean electronics group Samsung has agreed to cooperate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Foreign Investment Agency and the Vietnam Association of Mechanical Industry to develop domestic support industries.

 VietNamNet Bridge – A number of the largest global technology groups have set up their factories in Vietnam, giving many reason to believe that Vietnam is destined to become the world’s major electronics production base.

 JICA funds VND2,500 bil expressway project; Nam Con Son pipeline financing approved;  HSBC: Vietnam’s manufacturing growth continues in June; Cashew nut exporters need more support; M&A property deals on upward trend;

 Samsung group is urgently finalising documents to invest an additional US$1 billion in the Samsung Bac Ninh Hi-Tech Complex, according to Hai Quan (Customs) newspaper.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Ho Chi Minh City has approved the application by the Republic of Korean Samsung Group to construct a US$1 billion electronics manufacturing facility at the city’s Hi-Tech Park.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Republic of Korea (RoK) Samsung Group is committed to pumping billions of dollars into the construction of large-scale thermal power plants, shipyards, airports and petrochemical plants in Vietnam.

 Samsung Electronics Vietnam will be expanded in the future with its complex in Thai Nguyen Province, in addition to the one in Bac Ninh Province.

VietNamNet Bridge – Samsung’s cell-phone production factory in Thai Nguyen Province has started operation after nearly one year of construction, said a source from Samsung Vina Electronics Co. Ltd.

VietNamNet Bridge – Great opportunities would be created by the many-sided cooperation with the South Korean giant Samsung, which Vietnam should not miss. However, big challenges would also be generated.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Government has called on relevant bodies to accelerate co-ordination efforts with the Samsung group to restructure domestic shipbuilding activities.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Samsung is the big foreign investor Vietnam wants to attract and the one which has expressed its willingness to make investments in many different business fields in Vietnam.