Vietnam Economic News: 28.2 - 7.3.2026
Summary of Vietnam Economic News: 28.2 - 7.3.2026
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Summary of Vietnam Economic News: 28.2 - 7.3.2026 ---
VIETNAM INFLATION ACCELERATES IN FEBRUARY, MORE UPWARD PRESSURE AHEAD
Reuters News– 6 March 2026
Vietnam's consumer prices in February rose 3.35% compared to a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, accelerating from 2.5% in January. Prices are expected to be under further upward pressure in March due to the Iran war that has forced the country to raise its retail fuel prices. The government targets keeping inflation at 4.5% for this year. The rise in February consumer prices was led by an increase in the costs for food and drinks, house rent and education services, the National Statistics Office (NSO) said in a report. February industrial production rose 1% from a year earlier, slowing down after a 21.5% expansion in January. According to NSO, exports in February rose 5.7% from a year earlier to $33.06 billion, while imports in February rose 4.4% to $34.1 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $1.04 billion for the month. Foreign investment inflows in the first two months of this year rose 8.8% to $3.21 billion. Vietnam on Thursday raised retail price for gasoline by around 10% and for diesel by nearly 19.5%.
VIETNAM'S VIETTEL, QUALCOMM TECHNOLOGIES IN DEAL TO JOINTLY PRODUCE AI SMARTPHONES
Reuters News – 4 March 2026
Vietnam's military-run telecom company Viettelhas signed a memorandum of understanding with Qualcomm Technologies Incto jointly develop AIintegrated smartphones. Under the deal, Qualcomm Technologies would provide reference design and technology support while Viettel would manufacture and commercialise the devices, Viettel said in a statement issued on Tuesday. Viettel said it will join a Qualcomm Technologies-led alliance to deploy 6G technologies globally from 2029. Viettel, Vietnam's largest mobile carrier by subscription, has expanded into areas such as digital platforms, cybersecurity and defence-related technology.
PHILIPPINES' JOLLIBEE FOOD'S HIGHLANDS COFFEE EVALUATES VIETNAM IPO
Reuters News – 4 March 2026
Fast-food restaurant operator Jollibee Foods Corp said on Wednesday that its Vietnamese coffee chain, Highlands Coffee, was considering an initial public offering and a subsequent listing in Hanoi. The company, which holds a 60% stake in SuperFoods Group, which owns Highlands Coffee, said the potential listing would give the coffee platform direct access to Vietnam's growing capital market. Highland Coffee currently operates nearly 1,000 stores in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia. In early January, Jollibee had announced plans to spin off its international operations and list it as an independent company on a U.S. securities exchange. The U.S. spin-off will create two independently listed businesses with distinct strategic focuses and investment profiles, as the Philippine operations will remain listed on the local bourse. Jollibee expects the Vietnamese listing to be completed in the first quarter of 2027, while the U.S. listing of its international operations is expected to close towards the end of that year.
VIETNAM'S PV GAS BOOSTS DOMESTIC LPG OUTPUT TO COMPENSATE FOR SHORTFALL CAUSED BY IRAN WAR
Reuters News – 4 March 2026
PV Gas, a unit of Vietnamese energy group Petrovietnam, is boosting its domestic production of liquefied petroleum gas by 5% to compensate for a shortfall caused by the Iran war. The additional output will come from PV Gas' Dinh Co and Ca Mau gas processing plants in southern Vietnam, Petrovietnam said in a statement. According to Petrovietnam, 70% of Vietnam's LPG imports come from the Middle East. PV Gas is selecting a supplier for its third cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the first half of this year, adding that the first two cargoes weighing 70,000 tons each came from Qatar and Southeast Asia. PV Gas has sufficient LNG for its clients until endApril, Petrovietnam said. PV Gas' trading arm on Monday warned customers of delays in deliveries following supply disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East.
VIETNAMESE LPG WHOLESALER WARNS OF DELIVERY DELAYS AMID MIDDLE EAST UNREST
Reuters News – 3 March 2026
A unit of Vietnam's biggest gas trader has warned customers of delays in deliveries following supply disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East. PVGas Trading, a unit of leading gas trader PVGas, said in the March 2 notice that overseas suppliers had declared force majeure because of damage to a facility in Saudi Arabia and security threats to vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. PVGas Trading said two very large gas carriers have already been affected and said imports scheduled through March 10 would be delayed. It also could not confirm deliveries beyond that date and urged customers to seek alternative supply where possible. Vietnam relies heavily on LPG for household cooking, in restaurants and in small industries. While there is some domestic production, the country imports a significant share of its requirements, much of it sourced from the Middle East.
JAPAN'S JAPEX TO WITHDRAW FROM LNG TERMINAL PROJECT IN VIETNAM'S NORTH
Reuters News – 2 March 2026
Japan Petroleum Exploration Co has decided to withdraw from a project to construct a liquefied natural gas terminal in Vietnam's north, the company said in a statement on Monday and will transfer its shares in the project to its partners there. The project, which involves the construction of an LNG terminal with a receiving capacity of up to 650,000 tons of LNG annually and a storage tank, is planned to be built in Hai Phong City, JAPEX said. JAPEX decided to withdraw as it is difficult to secure the right economics for the project, it said.