The article titled “Why Vietnam could be Asia’s biggest trade war winner” quoted a senior economist at Natixis in China’s Hong Kong as saying “Vietnam is poised to capture some of China’s global market share in labour-intensive manufacturing”.
Vietnam is taking advantage of trade tensions to boost the nation’s profile as a manufacturing and export powerhouse, selling everything from shoes to smartphones. Trade amounts to about twice its gross domestic product - more than any country in Asia apart from Singapore, the economist said.
The article also looks at what makes Vietnam attractive to foreign investors.
Production workers in Vietnam are paid an average of 216 USD a month, less than half what their peers get in China. Thanks to government subsidies, electricity is also cheaper than in Indonesia and the Philippines, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.com’s June data.
Vietnam also has one of the largest labour forces in Southeast Asia, at 57.5 million. That compares with 15.4 million for Malaysia and 44.6 million for the Philippines, according to the World Bank.
Regarding trade deals, Vietnamese leaders have pursued free trade agreements with the Republic of Korea and Europe and signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in March this year.
Vietnam completed a trade deal with the EU in June that will eliminate almost all tariffs. In Southeast Asia, only Singapore has a similar agreement with the EU.
Vietnam’s government is also making it easier for foreign investors to do business with a proposed securities law allowing 100 percent foreign ownership of public companies, except those in restricted sectors like banking and telecommunications.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam is surging, with the government expecting disbursed FDI to rise to a record 18 billion USD this year.
Vietnam’s proximity to China also adds to its appeal, according to the article.
Chinese companies that need raw materials or product components from the US will find it easier to source these goods via Vietnam.
In addition, Vietnam is China’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam boasts one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, forecast to expand at about 7 percent this year. The dong has been relatively stable in 2018, compared with other currencies in Asia.
“Strong economic growth and political stability are very important to investors,” said Tony Foster, the Hanoi-based managing partner in Vietnam for law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.
Relating to this topic, Erik Lundh, senior economist of the Conference Board, a non-profit independent economy research organisation in the US, told Vietnam News Agency correspondents in the US that many multinational groups which previously depended on China have considered building manufacturing workshops in countries like Vietnam because of the labour cost advantage and fewer risks posed by the US-China trade war.
According to the expert, to succeed like China over the past two decades, Vietnam should aim to become a high-tech manufacturing destination and focus on developing high quality human resources.
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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