Late last week, S&P raised its long-term sovereign credit rating for Vietnam to “BB” from “BB-”.
“The stable outlook reflects out expectation that Vietnam’s economy will continue to expand rapidly, exemplifying gradual improvements in its policy-making setting and underpinning credit metrics,” S&P wrote in a press release.
This was the first upgrade since December 2010. The upgrade reflected continued improvements in the Government’s institutional settings, which S&P believed were supporting consistently strong economic growth and development. Vietnam’s broadly balanced external accounts, strong foreign direct investment inflow and a manageable external debt burden provided further supported to the rating, it said.
S&P said the Vietnamese economy had achieved impressive development including consistently high GDP growth.
“Importantly, the Vietnamese government has delivered strong development outcomes since the global financial crisis and its own domestic banking sector crisis at the beginning of this decade,” the credit rating agency said.
“We believe the government's accession as a founding signatory to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement to Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in late 2018 reflects the government's willingness to adopt and implement necessary reforms, especially in the state sector, over the long term.”
Although Vietnam had a lower middle-income economy, with GDP per capita projected at approximately 2,695 USD in 2019, the economy was relatively diversified.
“Continued improvements in macroeconomic stability have supported a strong performance in large foreign-owned and export-focused manufacturing sectors (electronics, mobile phones, and textiles). The robust FDI-oriented economy is fuelling stronger domestic activity, particularly through the private consumption channel.”
Vietnam's per capita income increased to an estimated 2,572 USD in 2018 from approximately 1,754 USD in 2012.
According to S&P, strong FDI in manufacturing continued in 2018 despite a more challenging external environment, reflecting the resilience of Vietnam's investment environment.
“The country's competitive unit labour costs, improving educational standards and constructive demographics implied continued growth in FDI and goods exports,” the rating agency said, adding that participation in free trade agreements, including the recently established CPTPP, could provide a further upside to Vietnam's export earnings.
The country still faced a variety of domestic and external risks, such as trade disputes, elevated fiscal deficits and public debt, and q relatively weak banking sector, S&P pointed out.
Senior economist from the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam Can Van Luc said that S&P’s upgrade on Vietnam reflected the country’s stable macroeconomy, improved fiscal policy and better business climate.
The upgrade would help consolidate confidence among investors and attract more foreign investment inflow, Luc said, adding that there was still room for improvement.
Luc said the country needed to speed up its restructuring process and increase the economy’s resilience to external shocks by resolving bad debt, improving fiscal policy and increasing foreign currency reserves.
In August 2018, credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has also upgraded Vietnam’s long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings to Ba3 from B1 and changed the outlook to stable from positive.
Fitch Rating in May 2018 upgraded Vietnam’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating to BB from BB- with a stable outlook.
VNS/VNA
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports are holding double-digit growth, but the opportunities are not spread evenly across product groups and markets. As businesses draw up their plans for 2027, Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS2026) offers a chance to look ahead together: what to sell, where to sell it, and how to prepare for growth in the coming years.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With less than two weeks to go, the Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026) will officially take place in Can Tho. Under the theme “Seafood Market Outlook 2027–2029 – Opportunities and Potential for Double-Digit Export Growth,” the Summit is organized by VASEP at a time when seafood businesses are facing rapid market shifts, changing buyer demand, trade policy changes and growing competitive pressure all at once.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On October 28, 2026, the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo opened in Qingdao, China. The expo takes place over three days from October 28 to 30, 2026. This is a prestigious specialized seafood exhibition organized annually by Sea Fare Exposition Inc.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first nine months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to the CPTPP bloc reached $7 million, marking a 51% year-on-year increase. The bloc rstands as the fourth-largest market for Vietnamese tilapia, trailing Brazil, the US, and Saudi Arabia.
(vasep.com.vn) VASEP has officially announced the program for Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026 (VSS 2026), featuring five in-depth sessions covering industry outlooks, trade barriers, buyer demand, the domestic market, and solutions to improve productivity and reduce costs across the seafood value chain.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached US$3.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 11% year on year. Although growth has been supported by China and several markets within the CPTPP, momentum is slowing as exports to the United States and the European Union decline. Tariff pressures, international competition, and raw material challenges are creating significant hurdles for exporters in the final months of the year.
(vasep.com.vn) Markets are changing faster, buyer requirements are becoming more demanding, and trade barriers are growing increasingly complex. In this environment, seafood businesses need more than an understanding of current market conditions. They need a longer-term perspective to answer a critical question: Where will growth opportunities come from in 2027–2029, and what should businesses do now to prepare? This is one of the key reasons why VASEP is organizing Vietnam Seafood Summit 2026.
(vasep.com.vn) In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to the Middle East reached US$113 million, up 7% year on year from the same period in 2025. Growth has become more pronounced in recent months. In August alone, exports to the region totaled US$20 million, an increase of 24%. This indicates that demand for Vietnamese pangasius in the Middle East is gradually recovering after a slowdown in March, although the pace of recovery varies across markets.
(vasep.com.vn) China’s shrimp imports continued to grow strongly in 2026, while Vietnam’s shrimp exports to the market also recorded notable growth. However, behind these positive figures lie two distinct trends: Chinese consumption is growing more slowly than imports, and lobster accounts for a substantial share of Vietnam’s shrimp exports to China, making its product mix significantly different from those of Ecuador and India. Exporters therefore need to assess each segment carefully to understand the opportunities and risks.
(vasep.com.vn) Changing markets, shifting buyer demand, and increasingly complex trade barriers are raising a key question for Vietnam’s seafood industry: Where will the new growth opportunities lie in 2027–2029?
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