Vietnamese export turnover to India reached nearly US$1.84 billion in the first nine months, an increase of 49.6 per cent, according to the Viet Nam trade office in India.

The General Department of Taxation has taken drastic measures to crack down on transfer pricing, confirming it had carried out investigations on businesses using transfer pricing to lower tax obligations.

Japanese investors have an increasing number of business projects in Vietnam. In order to share and exchange each other's experience, the Procurement Management Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment recently hosted a conference called "Sharing Japan's experiences in PPP investment." The event is an opportunity for both sides to review and make new recommendations to achieve the highest efficiency in public - private partnership (PPP).

While Vietnam hopes to boost exports and attract more foreign investment by signing a free trade agreement it is now negotiating with the European Union, the flip side is that the removal of tax and non-tax barriers could hurt its businesses, which are barely prepared for the fierce competition international integration would bring.

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) edged up 5.9 per cent in October and 5.4 per cent in the first ten months of this year, driven by an expansion in industrial manufacturing and processing.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade informed that until end of September Vietnam had imported 25,187 completely assembled cars.

The Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) issued Documents No. 8471 and 8472/NHNN-TTGSNH on November 14 to permit the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) branches of the Bank of Tokyo Misubishi UFJ Ltd (BTMU) to revise their charter capitals from USD 15 million up to USD 105 million and from USD 145 million down to USD 130 million respectively.

There is a big potential for Viet Nam's wood processing industry to expand its share in both foreign and domestic markets, both foreign and local experts concur.

The trade cooperation between Vietnam and Taiwan has gradually tapped each sides' strengths and potentials, thus helping boost bilateral trade. Especially when Vietnam and Taiwan joined the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and became official members of the largest global trade club, the two sides' trade ties entered the new phase of expansion.

Coffee farmers in Vietnam, the biggest producer of robusta beans used in instant drinks, plan to maintain production even after costs increased and prices slumped to the lowest level in three years.