Signed on July 24, the sales contract aligns with Decision No.876/QD-TTg and the government's net-zero emissions goal, supporting the transition to clean-energy public transport.

Under the agreement, Kim Long Motor Hue JSC will supply 100 electric buses to Phuong Trinh JSC with three lines, namely KIMLONGB30-EV, KIMLONGB40-EV, and KIMLONGB60-EV. The vehicles are researched, designed, and manufactured at Kim Long's manufacturing and assembly plant. Produced on a modern production line, the vehicles meet stringent standards for quality, safety, and operational efficiency.

Developed specifically for the public passenger transport sector, KIMLONGB30-EV (30 seats), KIMLONGB40-EV (40 seats) and KIMLONGB60-EV (60 seats) boast modern design, smooth performance, zero emissions, and optimised operating costs.

All three vehicle lines are equipped with advanced BYD batteries, providing a travel distance of approximately 270 km, 300 km, and 350 km, respectively, on a single charge. These buses also feature many amenities, including high-capacity air conditioning, surveillance cameras, and electronic route displays. The vehicles cater to diverse demands from inner-city routes to routes connecting urban areas, residential zones, and tourist areas.

Kim Long Motor has become a reliable partner for transport companies and regulatory agencies in advancing green transportation. Its electric bus lines are already in operation in Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, and Dak Lak, and the company continues to expand across other localities to improve public passenger transport quality.

At the signing ceremony, Mai Tien Phat, member of the Board of Directors at Kim Long Motor, said, "As a vehicle supplier for Phuong Trinh, Kim Long Motor continues to affirm its quality, production capability, and brand prestige in Vietnam's commercial vehicle market."

"Beyond delivering high-quality products, we are committed to comprehensive after-sales service, warranty, maintenance, and technical support to ensure stable vehicle operation," he added. "We believe this partnership will advance green transportation in Vietnam, creating tangible benefits for businesses, communities, and the environment."

Phuong Trinh JSC, which operates bus routes in Ho Chi Minh City, has extensive experience in public passenger transport. The investment in 100 electric buses reinforces its sustainable development strategy towards building a modern, environmentally friendly public transport system that better serves passengers' commuting needs.

Nguyen Thi Diem Van, chairwoman of Phuong Trinh JSC, said, "After a careful research and partner selection process, we highly appreciate Kim Long Motor's research and manufacturing capabilities. We are particularly impressed with the quality of Vietnamese-branded buses."

“The investment in 100 electric buses will contribute to improving the quality of public passenger transport services. The move also reflects Phuong Trinh JSC's commitment to green transportation, emissions reduction, and environmental protection. We expect the Kim Long electric bus fleet to be put into effective operation soon, providing people with safe, convenient, and civilised travel experiences,” she added.

For Kim Long Motor, the contract represents more than a commercial milestone in its strategy to develop the new-energy commercial vehicle market. The move also encourages the company to invest, research, innovate technologies and improve product quality. With the

With a gradually developing automotive industry ecosystem and increasing localisation rates, Kim Long Motor is steadily asserting its position as one of Vietnam's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. The efforts contribute to the realisation of the Party and government's policies on developing the automotive industry, promoting a green economy and circular economy, and accompanying Vietnam's emission reduction roadmap.

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Speaking to the media on July 21 in Hanoi, Chia said Vietnam has emerged as one of the most advanced electric vehicle (EV) markets in Southeast Asia, not only because of rising EV adoption but also because domestic companies are increasingly developing and designing automotive technologies.

"I would say Vietnam is doing very well. In many other ASEAN countries, the focus is still mainly on EV consumption through imports or local assembly. However, when it comes to developing and designing automotive technologies, I have not seen the same level of activity elsewhere," he said.

He attributed the momentum to a combination of supportive government policies, a growing technology ecosystem, and the presence of a strong domestic EV manufacturer that is accelerating innovation.

"Vietnam has a strong government commitment to technology development and innovation. At the same time, I see a vibrant startup ecosystem and many Vietnamese engineers returning from overseas to build technology companies. That combination creates strong momentum," he said.

Chia said one of the biggest technology shifts in the automotive industry is the transition towards software-defined vehicles (SDVs), in which software increasingly controls vehicle functions and enables continuous upgrades throughout a vehicle's lifetime.

Modern vehicles are evolving into high-performance computing platforms equipped with multiple cameras, digital displays, advanced driver assistance systems, premium audio systems, and increasingly sophisticated connectivity.

As vehicle electronics become more complex, manufacturers are moving away from traditional domain-based electronic architectures, where each function has its own controller, towards zonal architectures managed by centralised computing systems.

The new approach reduces wiring, lowers vehicle weight, improves manufacturing efficiency, and enables software updates to introduce new features after vehicles have been sold.

"The amount of data inside vehicles is increasing rapidly. Industry experts expect the volume of data processed in each vehicle to grow from around 20GB today to more than 200GB over the next decade," he said.

Rather than developing central computing systems themselves, ADI focuses on the technologies that connect cameras, sensors, displays, speakers, and other electronic systems throughout the vehicle.

"You can think of our technology as the veins and blood vessels in the human body. The central computer may be the brain, but without the network connecting everything together, the brain cannot communicate with the rest of the body," Chia said.

The company highlighted three automotive connectivity technologies supporting SDV architectures:

• GMSL (Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link), which enables high-speed, low-latency transmission between cameras, displays, and central processors for ADAS and infotainment systems;
• A2B (Automotive Audio Bus), which simplifies vehicle audio networks by carrying audio, control signals, and power over a single cable; and
• E2B (Ethernet to the Edge Bus), designed to connect sensors and actuators within zonal vehicle architectures.

According to Chia, GMSL technology has been deployed for more than two decades, with over one billion integrated circuits shipped globally. He confirmed that VinFast is among the automotive manufacturers already using ADI's GMSL technology.

Looking ahead, Chia said Vietnam's EV market is likely to be shaped by two parallel trends: improving user convenience and strengthening local technology capabilities.

On the consumer side, expanding charging infrastructure for electric cars and battery-swapping networks for electric motorcycles will remain essential to accelerate adoption.

"Convenience is one of the most important factors in encouraging consumers to adopt EVs. Once that foundation is in place, consumers will naturally begin to expect higher levels of comfort and premium experiences inside the vehicle," he said.

At the industry level, Chia believes Vietnam's biggest long-term opportunity lies in developing more domestic engineering and design capabilities. He noted that most Tier-1 automotive suppliers operating in Vietnam remain foreign companies, while local manufacturers still rely heavily on externally developed modules and technologies.

"The opportunity is how Vietnamese companies can gradually build their own engineering and design capabilities instead of only purchasing complete modules. In the long run, design capabilities create much higher value than manufacturing alone," he said.

Developing proprietary technologies and intellectual property would enable Vietnamese companies to move further up the automotive value chain, he added, although he acknowledged the transition would take time.

Chia also identified English-language proficiency as an area that could further strengthen Vietnam's technology sector. "Having stronger English skills allows engineers to access technical documentation more quickly, collaborate internationally, and absorb new technologies faster," he said.

Despite that challenge, Chia said Vietnam currently holds a strong position within Southeast Asia's automotive technology landscape because of the combination of government support, domestic industry leadership, and an increasingly capable engineering workforce.

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The conference was organised by Hanoi Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine (under Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment), in coordination with Soi Dog Foundation and Vietnam Social and Behaviour Change Communication for Sustainable Development Company (SBCC Vietnam).

The conference brought together representatives of state management agencies, experts in veterinary medicine, public health and sustainable economic development, together with households currently engaged in the slaughtering and trading of dog and cat meat across the project's 14 pilot wards.

This session builds on three previous livelihood transition training conferences and three online selling skills workshops held earlier under the project. At this fourth conference, the Organising Committee introduced additional hands-on vocational training programmes in food processing and beverage preparation, diversifying employment opportunities and giving participating households more options suited to current market demand as they transition to new occupations.

The project “Pilot Model for Rabies Prevention, Sustainable Economic Development – Phased - Transitioning the Dog and Cat Meat Trade in Selected Wards of Hanoi City,” approved by Hanoi People’s Committee in 2025, has achieved a number of positive results to date.

According to a review conducted by the people’s committees of the participating wards and the Project Management Board as of last month, 28 dog and cat meat slaughtering and trading facilities have ceased operations, and 25 facilities have registered to transition their business models.

Notably, Giang Vo ward has become the first locality within the project’s scope confirmed, based on local review results, to have no remaining dog and cat meat trading facilities in operation. This outcome reflects the combined effect of multiple measures, including strengthened communication and outreach, livelihood transition support, improved state management of veterinary medicine, food safety and food traceability, rabies prevention and control, and the consensus of residents.

A baseline survey conducted before the project began had also found no dog and cat meat trading facilities in Cua Nam ward. However, Giang Vo is the first locality to achieve this result as an outcome of the project’s support activities, demonstrating the initial effectiveness of a model that combines state management, behaviour change communication, and livelihood transition support.

To support households in transitioning to sustainable occupations, the Organising Committee introduced vocational training programmes suited to current market demand, requiring reasonable initial investment, straightforward to implement, and well-matched to the experience of households already working in food and beverage services.

Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Dinh Dang, director of Hanoi Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine, said, “The project’s early results show that combining stronger state management with livelihood transition support is the right direction, gradually changing public awareness and helping residents move into stable, sustainable occupations."

"Going forward, the Sub-Department will continue to work with local authorities, organisations and businesses to expand support activities, contributing to more effective rabies prevention and control, food safety assurance, animal disease control, and the development of civilised, sustainable livestock farming.”

Representatives of Soi Dog Foundation and SBCC Vietnam commended the project’s early results and reaffirmed their continued commitment to working with city agencies on vocational training, startup support, market linkages, and ongoing support for households throughout their livelihood transition.

Beyond Giang Vo ward, the project has also seen positive change in areas such as Tu Liem and Tay Mo, which previously had a relatively large number of dog and cat meat trading facilities. According to review results, many facilities in these areas have either ceased operations or are progressively transitioning their business models.

Phasing out the slaughter and trade of dog and cat meat will support households in shifting to sustainable livelihoods, while strengthening veterinary and food safety management, improving rabies control and food traceability, reducing zoonotic disease risks, and fostering a more civilised urban environment.

Going forward, Hanoi Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine will continue to work with relevant departments, people’s committees, international organisations, businesses, vocational training institutions and job placement providers to expand livelihood transition support, creating opportunities for residents to pursue stable, sustainable careers, while contributing to implementation of the national rabies control programme.

Hanoi transition: four dog cat meat traders proactively exit the trade for sustainable careers following training A training initiative is helping dog and cat meat traders in Hanoi transition to more sustainable livelihoods.

Hanoi trains veterinary officers in humane euthanasia standards A first-of-its-kind training conference on international standards for humane euthanasia of cats and dogs has been held within Vietnam's public veterinary system.

Hanoi steps up rabies prevention through public awareness A mass communications campaign on rabies prevention and animal welfare has been launched in Hanoi to raise public awareness and promote a safer, more civilised urban environment.

According to a notice issued by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), the additional duties apply to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from bonded warehouses for consumption, from 12:01 a.m (US time) on July 24, 2026. The new tariff rates of 10 and 12.5 per cent officially took effect at midnight on July 24, replacing the temporary 10 per cent tariff that expired simultaneously.

According to a USTR document released on July 23, the new tariffs will cover 99.4 per cent of US trade. CNBC reported that the agency said it is not yet able to estimate the amount of revenue the new duties will generate.

The tariffs will apply to all goods imported from economies subject to the investigation, with several exceptions. These include raw materials facing potential supply shortages, products whose taxation could disrupt the broader economy, and goods that cannot be produced in sufficient quantities in the US and for which there are no viable alternative sources.

Products already subject to tariffs under Section 232 national security measures introduced last year, including automobiles, aluminium, steel, and copper, will also be exempt from the new duties. In addition, certain products that meet the rules of origin under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement will not be subject to the new tariffs, reflecting the high degree of integration within North American supply chains and the significant US value content of these goods.

USTR Jamieson Greer also pledged that, for countries that have concluded trade agreements with the US, the new tariffs will not cause total tariff levels to exceed the ceilings agreed between the two sides.

According to the USTR announcement, the 10 per cent tariff will apply to imports from countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Argentina, Bangladesh, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Jordan, and Mexico.

Meanwhile, for the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, the new tariff, when combined with the existing most-favoured-nation duty, will result in a total tariff rate of either 10 or 12.5 per cent, depending on the economy.

A total of 38 economies will face the 12.5 per cent tariff, including Vietnam, China, Thailand, and the Philippines.

The new tariffs are widely viewed as the latest step in the US efforts to restore the near-universal tariff policy championed by President Donald Trump during his election campaign.

In February 2026, the US Supreme Court struck down the reciprocal tariff policy of 10 to 50 per cent that President Trump had introduced last year under national emergency legislation to reduce the country's trade deficit.

Following the ruling, President Trump invoked Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary 10 per cent tariff for 150 days. That measure officially expired at 12:01 a.m (US time) on July 24, with the new tariff rates taking effect immediately afterwards. Goods already in transit will remain exempt until 12:01 a.m on July 28 (US time).

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The minister said that the first pillar is institutions and policies, with the overarching view that laws should not be obstacles, but rather a solid foundation for creating development.

The second pillar is human resources and talent, with talent being the most important factor, the core element determining the success or failure of AI development.

Minister Vu Hai Quan at the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Digital and AI. Photo: MST

The third pillar is AI infrastructure, data, and startups, aiming to build a comprehensive ecosystem with infrastructure, data, and a young startup community at its core.

Minister Quan proclaimed that AI development is a journey requiring cooperation among countries and economies. Vietnam is committed to strengthening cooperation with China and APEC member economies to build a safe AI future.

The minister stated that in 2027, Vietnam is honoured to assume the role of APEC host country and respectfully extends an invitation to ministers and leaders in charge of digital and AI fields from member economies to visit Vietnam and participate within the framework of APEC Year 2027.

The ministry is now strengthening cooperation with countries, organisations, and businesses on AI. In early July, during a working session with Maroun Kairouz, executive director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Minister Quan said that Vietnam prioritises the development of AI and semiconductor technology as key drivers for growth.

Photo: MST

Both sides agreed to soon finalise an MoU between the WEF and the government of Vietnam, serving as a solid coordination framework to realise commitments and creating leverage to propel Vietnam's digital economy forward.

At a meeting with Qualcomm on July 17 in Hanoi between Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh and Durga Malladi, EVP and general manager of Technology Planning, Edge Solutions and Data Centres at Qualcomm, the two sides discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in AI, semiconductors, research and development, workforce development, and innovation.

Vietnam encourages Qualcomm to broaden cooperation in AI, semiconductors, and research, while stepping up support for technology commercialisation, talent development, and the innovation ecosystem.

Both sides agreed to continue discussions on specific areas of cooperation, contributing to the development of a stronger AI, semiconductor, and innovation ecosystem in Vietnam.

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Vietnam keeping pace with world’s AI development: expert With the development of several language models designed specifically for Vietnamese users like PhoGPT, Vietnam has caught up with the world’s AI trend, an expert from VinAI under Vingroup conglomerate said on December 19.

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Human-centred governance seen as key to AI development Drawing on both international experience and Vietnam’s policy trajectory, experts agreed that AI can deliver lasting value only when it is designed and deployed within a clear, human-centred governance framework.

The event brought together policymakers, businesses, and industry representatives to discuss solutions for reducing plastic waste in the retail sector.

Nguyen Trung Thang, deputy director of ISPAE, said the event aimed to update stakeholders on policies related to the circular economy and plastic pollution reduction.

"The workshop also provides an opportunity to share successful models for reducing single-use plastics while strengthening connections between regulators, businesses, manufacturers, development organisations, and consumers to promote sustainable production and consumption," Thang said.

Plastic pollution remains a major global environmental challenge. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste enter aquatic ecosystems each year, damaging ecosystems, reducing their resilience to climate change, and threatening livelihoods, food security, and human wellbeing.

Vietnam has introduced a number of policy frameworks to strengthen plastic waste management and promote sustainable consumption, including the National Strategy on Integrated Solid Waste Management to 2025 with a vision to 2050, the National Action Plan on Sustainable Production and Consumption for 2021-2030, Prime Minister's Directive No.33/CT-TTg, and Decision No.1316/QD-TTg on plastic waste management.

Under these policies, Vietnam aims to ensure that plastic bags and packaging used in shopping centres and supermarkets are environmentally friendly, while gradually phasing out non-biodegradable plastic bags and single-use plastic products.

Quach Thi Xuan, representative of Pacific Environment, said reducing single-use plastics in retail requires more than replacing conventional materials with greener alternatives.

"For these models to be effective in Vietnam, close coordination is needed between the government, businesses, and consumers to improve policies, invest in reuse infrastructure, standardise packaging, and raise public awareness," Xuan said.

She noted that many countries are shifting from waste management towards waste prevention through product and packaging redesign. Measures increasingly adopted include restrictions on single-use plastics, extended producer responsibility schemes, deposit-return systems, and reusable packaging networks.

Retailers worldwide have introduced refill stations, encouraged customers to use reusable bags and containers, replaced plastic packaging with sustainable materials, and offered incentives to encourage greener consumption habits.

The European Union has banned a range of single-use plastic products and tightened packaging requirements, while France has introduced strict rules limiting disposable plastic packaging. China has also implemented nationwide restrictions on non-biodegradable plastic bags and packaging.

According to Dr. Kim Thi Thuy Ngoc of ISPAE, reducing plastic consumption in supermarkets should be a starting point for promoting the circular economy in retail.

Research by the institute shows that each supermarket distributes an average of 1,454 plastic bags per day, equivalent to around 1.6 bags per customer transaction. In Hanoi alone, supermarkets provide approximately 200,000 plastic bags daily, or nearly one tonne of plastic.

"To reduce plastic waste generation, 16 major retailers have joined the Retailers Alliance for Plastic Bag Reduction, committing to replace non-biodegradable plastic bags with environmentally friendly alternatives while encouraging customers to limit single-use plastics. Businesses are also increasing the use of recycled paper and sustainable packaging across their supply chains," Ngoc said.

From a business perspective, Le Thi Hong Nhi, deputy general director of Communications, External Affairs and Sustainability at Unilever Vietnam, outlined the company’s proposed 4C framework for accelerating the circular economy.

The framework comprises Collaboration, fostering shared responsibility across the value chain; Connection, strengthening data sharing and stakeholder coordination; Circulation, creating closed-loop systems spanning product design, waste collection, recycling, and the use of recycled materials; and Change, encouraging more sustainable consumer choices.

“Policies should also support the wider adoption of eco-labels for environmentally friendly products and packaging, helping consumers identify and prioritise green products while encouraging businesses to invest in sustainable development," Nhi said.

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200 participants trained on circular economy Over 200 attendees, including managers and specialists from ministries, departments, localities, and businesses, attended a training course about circular economy and sustainable production and consumption in Hanoi on March 10.

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Japan's Sharp Energy Solutions Corporation (SESJ) has completed the acquisition of all shares held by NSN Construction & Engineering JSC in Sharp NSN Energy Solution JSC (SNES), a joint venture established in Vietnam by SESJ and NSN, as of June 30, 2026.

As a result, SNES has become a wholly owned subsidiary of SESJ. In addition, SNES changed its company name to Sharp Energy Solution Vietnam Co., Ltd. (SESV) on May 28.

Since its establishment in March 2020, SESV has been engaged in engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services–covering engineering, procurement, and construction of solar power plants–as well as operation and maintenance (O&M) services, including operation and maintenance, within Vietnam.

Amid continued growth in demand for renewable energy in Vietnam, the full acquisition is expected to accelerate decision-making and enable more integrated business operations.

Centred on SESV, expansion into new business areas will be pursued, including rooftop solar power systems for factories and commercial facilities, as well as solar power plants combined with Battery Energy Storage Systems.

Vietnam is rapidly emerging as a clean energy hub, supported by growing industrial demand, tighter carbon compliance standards, and the declining cost of solar power. Increasing electricity demand and higher power prices are boosting the appeal of rooftop solar as a cost-effective, cleaner energy source, while battery storage is gaining traction as businesses seek to optimise electricity use and strengthen energy resilience.

Dawn Medical acquires Vietnam's Pinnacle Health Equipment Dawn Medical Technologies has acquired a controlling stake in Pinnacle Health Equipment, one of Vietnam's largest medtech distributors, marking its entry into the Vietnamese market.

Kredivo Group takes over digital banking platform Timo On May 5, digital financial services platform Kredivo Group announced the acquisition of Timo Digital Bank, a Vietnamese platform developed by BV Bank.

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Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee will be responsible for the overall state management of the FTZ. The site is located approximately 50 km northwest of downtown Ho Chi Minh City and around 25 km north of Long Thanh International Airport.

The Ho Chi Minh City FTZ covers more than 4,170 hectares and will comprise three functional zones and eight contiguous sub-zones.

These include the existing container port; Cai Mep Ha Container Terminal; the downstream Cai Mep Ha Container Terminal; Cai Mep Ha railway station on the Bien Hoa–Vung Tau railway line; an inland waterway port; the southern section of Cai Mep Industrial Park; Cai Mep Ha Logistics Centre; and an integrated industrial, urban, and service area.

The FTZ linked to Cai Mep Ha Seaport is intended to serve as a pioneering pilot model for implementing breakthrough institutional mechanisms and creating an international-standard free trade and investment environment. It is also envisioned as a strategic gateway connecting the city's manufacturing, trade, and service sectors with regional and global markets.

It will also become a new growth driver, supporting Ho Chi Minh City's ambition to emerge as a leading maritime economic hub in Southeast Asia. At the same time, it will create new space for rapid and sustainable development while strengthening connectivity across the Southeast region and the country.

Under the development plan, the FTZ will prioritise the digital economy, green economy, and circular economy, anchored by a green logistics hub, a seaport cluster, and an international transshipment port. The zone will be closely integrated with the Cai Mep-Thi Vai deepwater port cluster, Can Gio International Transshipment Port, and Long Thanh International Airport.

In addition to serving as a logistics and green manufacturing hub, the FTZ aims to foster high value-added industries that apply advanced, environmentally friendly technologies. It is also envisioned as an innovation hub, attracting global talent and serving as a regional headquarters location for multinational corporations in logistics, maritime services, and international trade.

Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Management Authority has been assigned to undertake direct state management of the zone, while assuming certain functions, responsibilities, and powers transferred from specialised departments under the municipal people's committee.

Under the development roadmap, during 2026–2030 the city will focus on enhancing the operational efficiency of existing facilities, including seaports, warehouses, and factories within Cai Mep Industrial Park.

Priorities will include strengthening the governance framework, developing digital platforms for management, operations, and supervision, implementing planning, expanding transport and infrastructure connectivity, carrying out site clearance, and attracting strategic domestic and international investors.

During 2031–2035, Ho Chi Minh City will continue developing the FTZ on the foundation of current infrastructure, while completing a highly competitive maritime economic ecosystem and advancing the zone's transformation into a green free trade zone. The remaining functional zones will also be completed in line with the approved master plan.

Beyond 2035, the city aims to establish the FTZ linked to Cai Mep Ha Seaport as the nucleus of the southeast region's maritime economy. It is envisioned to become one of Vietnam's leading cargo transshipment hubs with regional and international significance.

Cai Mep Port. Photo: Le Toan

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Cai Mep Terminal delivers first pipeline gas to Phu My Power Complex AG&P LNG, a leading LNG terminals and downstream infrastructure company, on July 17 announced that Cai Mep Terminal has begun delivery of first pipeline gas to the Phu My power complex via the new Cai Mep–Phu My gas pipeline.

PVI Insurance's performance was driven by growth in direct insurance, reinsurance and related services.

In addition, revenue collected on behalf of social insurance system reached $85.9 million, up 30.2 per cent on-year, helping expand the company's customer base and strengthen service touchpoints.

Motor insurance continues to be the core business line for many non-life insurance firms

At DBV Insurance (formerly Vietnam National Aviation Insurance), gross written premiums reached $123.6 million during the first half of 2026.

Motor insurance remained the company's core business line, accounting for 66 per cent of total gross written premiums and rising 94.4 per cent from a year earlier, enabling DBV to move into the market's leading group in this segment.

Meanwhile, property and engineering insurance posted growth of 68.5 per cent, marine insurance increased 55.8 per cent, and personal accident and health insurance rose 85.1 per cent.

This marked the first time DBV's gross written premiums exceeded approximately $120 million during the first six months of a year.

According to an industry expert familiar with the company's operations, the results reflect a broad restructuring programme following the completion of DB Insurance's acquisition of controlling stakes in Vietnam National Aviation Insurance (now DBV) and Sai Gon-Hanoi Insurance Corporation in early 2024.

The restructuring included reorganising the branch network, adjusting underwriting operations and redefining the business roles of the two insurers.

DBV's improved market position has been most evident in motor insurance. Based on data compiled by DBV from the Insurance Association of Vietnam, the company ranked first in motor insurance gross written premiums during the first five months of 2026, generating $65.9 million, nearly double the $34.6 million recorded by second-ranked Bao Viet Insurance.

DBV's 2026 business plan targets gross written premiums of approximately $248 million, up more than 48 per cent from 2025, underscoring the company's aggressive growth strategy from the outset of the year.

Meanwhile, PVI Insurance said it is accelerating efforts to become Vietnam's first non-life insurer to achieve annual revenue of $1.2 billion in 2026.

The positive momentum extends beyond individual companies, with broader market indicators suggesting that Vietnam's insurance industry is gradually recovering after a prolonged period of adjustment.

At the Ministry of Finance's second-quarter 2026 regular press briefing, Pham Thu Phuong, deputy director general of the Insurance Supervisory Authority, said Vietnam's insurance market is showing signs of recovery, particularly following the life insurance sector's confidence crisis during 2022-2023 period.

Total insurance market revenue is estimated to have increased by around 2 per cent in the first half of 2026.

Non-life insurance revenue rose by more than 12 per cent, while life insurance revenue declined by about 4 per cent, indicating that the pace of contraction has slowed considerably.

Insurance management bodies are also stepping up digital transformation, strengthening inspections and supervision, and enhancing dialogue with insurers to address challenges, improve regulatory effectiveness and support the market's sustainable development.

Supported by the government's and the Ministry of Finance's policy measures, alongside the country's ambition to achieve double-digit economic growth, the insurance market is expected to continue its recovery and gradually move towards the 2030 target of insurance premium revenue equivalent to 3.3-3.8 per cent of the country’s GDP.

Insurers juggle with market share shifts and moderate gains Despite severe economic impacts caused by the health crisis, non-life insurers continue to manoeuvre through the turmoil.

AAA Insurance rebrands on journey towards top 10 non-life insurers AAA Insurance Company, a prominent player in Vietnam's insurance sector, has undergone a transformation and rebranded itself as AAA Insurance Corporation.

Non-life insurers face mounting pressure after typhoon hits motor sector Typhoon Bualoi has triggered a wave of motor insurance claims in Vietnam, with hundreds of vehicles damaged by floods and debris, pushing compensation costs and insurance pressure to new highs.

Eric Chou, Vice President of Mobile eXperience at Samsung Australia, Samsung Electronics Australia said, "Australians are increasingly looking for technology that fits seamlessly into their lifestyles, helping them stay productive, connected and healthy. Our latest Galaxy devices have been designed with that in mind, combining meaningful AI experiences with premium hardware innovation to empower Australians to do more, create more and live life their way."

Samsung launches its eighth generation of foldable devices: Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8

With now over eight generations, Samsung's latest Galaxy Z series is Samsung's most complete foldables lineup yet, giving Australians the choice of a foldable that best suits their unique lifestyle.

"We know smartphone users aren't one-size-fits-all, which is why we've built our best and most complete foldable lineup to date," said Nathan Rigger, Head of Product, Mobile eXperience, Samsung Electronics Australia. "The Galaxy Z series brings together breakthrough design, powerful performance and personalised AI experiences, empowering Australians to find the foldable that best meets their needs."

The Galaxy Z Fold8 reveals a brand-new, first of its kind form factor. With Samsung research revealing smartphone use for entertainment has increased over the past two years^[1], the new passport-like shape transforms the way content is consumed – spanning streaming and gaming through to social media use, allowing Australians to seamlessly switch between landscape and portrait, immersion, and interaction.

With performance and functionality continuing to be among the top factors influencing smartphone choice in Australia^[1], the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra delivers flagship foldable performance. The Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra is a flagship-level powerhouse in a foldable form factor – with a long-lasting battery, ultra-fast charging, upgraded camera and hinge, powered by Galaxy AI for smarter multitasking and an elevated user experience. And for Australians seeking pocketability, the Galaxy Z Flip8 is Samsung's thinnest and lightest flip phone ever, weighing just 180g and measuring 6.1mm thick, giving convenience and flexibility while still being able to perform when you need it.

Samsung Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2: Australians offered two clear options to support their health and wellness goals

With a whopping 70% of Australians regularly exercising^[2], the new Galaxy Watch lineup launch is timely, giving Australians two distinct wearable options to support their health and wellness goals.

The Galaxy Watch9 is a stylish, everyday health companion with enhanced comfort, battery life and AI-powered wellness insights, while the Galaxy Watch Ultra2 is built for extreme adventurers, with advanced sports tracking and Samsung's brightest display and largest battery yet. Powered by Samsung Health and AI, both watches deliver personalised health tracking and actionable insights for a more holistic view of wellbeing.

"The Galaxy Watch9 continues our vision of making everyday wellness more accessible and intuitive," said Kylie Mason, Head of Wearables, Mobile eXperience, Samsung Electronics Australia. "With comfort and wearability ranking among the top priorities for Australians choosing a smartwatch, we are excited to continue redefining the premium smartwatch category by introducing an elegant design that maintains our iconic cushion heritage, with improved battery and enhanced vitality features. It is a chic and sophisticated companion that helps Australians stay on top of their wellbeing throughout the day."

For more information about the Samsung Galaxy Z8 series, visit https://www.samsung.com/au/smartphones/ and join the conversation with @samsungau by sharing if you are #FoldOrFlip. For more information about the Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra2, please visit https://www.samsung.com/au/watches/.

This is precisely the type of occasion STARTRADER builds its product strategy around. As significant names enter the US market and begin drawing institutional attention, STARTRADER moves decisively to ensure clients have access when it carries the most relevance. For a company of SK Hynix's standing in the AI memory supply chain, its US debut represents exactly that kind of opportunity.

The decision reflects a product philosophy centred on anticipation. As the boundary between global and US-listed equities continues to narrow, STARTRADER intends to remain consistently at that intersection, connecting clients to names the global investment community is beginning to follow closely and providing the access needed to engage with both confidence and context.

"Clients who follow the AI infrastructure story understand that the opportunity runs through the entire supply chain, including the memory and bandwidth that make large-scale AI possible. SK Hynix's arrival on the US market made this the right moment to act, and acting early on behalf of our clients is exactly what we intend to keep doing."

Peter Karsten, Chief Executive Officer, STARTRADER

SKHY marks the latest addition in a product offering designed to keep clients directly connected to the names and sectors defining the next phase of global market development, with the breadth and precision to engage with structural investment themes as they take shape.

Trading CFDs involves a significant risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Please ensure you fully understand the risks before trading.

The collaboration demonstrates how connected robotic, automotive, and defense systems can securely exchange information with cloud services using standardized quantum-resistant cryptography while preserving the communication patterns and distributed software architectures that modern intelligent systems rely on. The implementation provides a practical blueprint for bringing quantum-safe security to long-lived connected systems without requiring fundamental changes to existing applications.

As quantum computing continues to advance, many of today's widely deployed public-key cryptographic algorithms are expected to become vulnerable to cryptographically relevant quantum computers. For software-defined vehicles, autonomous systems, connected robotics, data of national security concern, and platforms designed to remain in service for decades, this creates a long-term cybersecurity challenge. These systems increasingly depend on secure communication with cloud-based services for monitoring, diagnostics, software updates, fleet management, coordination, and remote operation, making the transition to quantum-resistant security an important priority.

The implementation combines Terra Quantum's post-quantum cryptography capabilities with Apex.OS to enable secure cloud communication using NIST-standardized quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms. Apex.OS provides the software-defined robotics and intelligent-machine foundation for this joint solution, enabling secure edge-to-cloud communication in an application environment representative of modern autonomous and connected systems. Importantly, the solution preserves existing communication workflows and application architectures, enabling organizations to strengthen cybersecurity while maintaining compatibility with modern distributed software systems.

"Connected intelligent systems are rapidly becoming critical infrastructure," said Markus Pflitsch, CEO, Founder and Chairman of Terra Quantum. "The vehicles, robots, and industrial systems being deployed today will still be operating when quantum computers begin challenging today's cryptographic standards. Organizations cannot afford to wait until that moment arrives. This implementation demonstrates that NIST-standardized post-quantum cryptography is ready to protect cloud-connected systems today, providing a practical path toward quantum resilience without disrupting existing software architectures."

Dr. Florian Neukart, Chief Technology Officer at Terra Quantum, added: "The transition to post-quantum cryptography must be practical, standards-based, and interoperable with the software systems organizations already operate. Our collaboration with Apex.AI demonstrates that NIST-standardized post-quantum cryptography can be integrated into modern robotics and software-defined vehicle environments without changing application logic or communication architectures. By preserving existing development workflows while strengthening cryptographic resilience, we enable organizations to begin their migration to quantum-safe security today."

Dr. Jan Becker, CEO at Apex.AI, said: "Software-defined vehicles, intelligent machines, and connected defense systems increasingly rely on trusted communication with cloud infrastructure throughout their operational lifetime. Our collaboration with Terra Quantum demonstrates that standardized post-quantum cryptography can be integrated into modern robotics software environments while preserving the flexibility, scalability, and communication models developers rely on to build next-generation intelligent systems. For organizations developing platforms that may remain in operation for years or decades, preparing for post-quantum security is becoming an important lifecycle consideration that should be addressed early in the architecture and product planning process."

Unlike approaches that require redesigning applications or communication frameworks, the demonstrated implementation enables organizations to begin adopting standardized post-quantum security using technologies available today. By preserving established software architectures while replacing vulnerable cryptographic building blocks, organizations can prepare long-lived connected systems for the post-quantum era with minimal operational disruption.

The implementation is particularly relevant for industries operating mission-critical connected assets, including robotics, autonomous mobility, industrial automation, manufacturing, logistics, aerospace, defense, and critical infrastructure, where devices deployed today must remain secure throughout operational lifecycles that often extend well beyond the arrival of cryptographically relevant quantum computers.

Beyond securing individual platforms, the joint solution enables quantum-safe protection of interconnected Systems-of-Systems operating across cloud, edge, autonomous, and mission networks. In line with NATO's Multi-Domain Operations approach, resilient and interoperable communication infrastructures are essential to orchestrate effects across land, air, maritime, cyber, and space domains. The demonstrated architecture provides a scalable foundation for secure information exchange and mission assurance across complex, software-defined operational ecosystems.

As governments and industry accelerate the adoption of NIST's post-quantum cryptographic standards, the collaboration demonstrates that organizations can begin their migration to quantum-safe communication today using standardized technologies without redesigning existing software-defined systems.

The AMD Robotics Partner Network is an open ecosystem that enables partners to build and deploy robotics solutions across embedded, edge, and cloud environments using AMD compute. The network brings together ODMs, ISVs, sensor providers, system integrators, and more to accelerate end-to-end robotics innovation on an AMD-validated platform.

Because robots operate under constrained power, memory, and compute resources, running AI models directly on robotic devices requires model optimization. Drawing on its AI model compression and hardware-aware optimization technology, Nota AI plans to optimize model size, computational workload, and memory usage for the processors and system environments used in robotics, helping AI models run reliably under constrained compute resources.

Participation in the AMD Robotics Partner Network helps Nota AI advance open, scalable physical AI solutions that enable autonomous robots to perceive, reason, and act across real-world environments.

"For physical AI to deliver real value in industrial environments, AI models must be optimized for the compute and memory constraints of the robots on which they operate," said Myungsu Chae, CEO of Nota AI. "By joining the AMD Robotics Partner Network, we are expanding our on-device AI optimization technology into robotics and look forward to collaborating with fellow network partners to support the deployment of physical AI solutions across industrial environments."

"The AMD Robotics Partner Network brings together ODMs, ISVs, and system integrators to enable scalable robotics solutions across industries," said KV Thanjavur Bhaaskar, Robotics Lead, AMD. "It creates a collaborative ecosystem designed to accelerate innovation and expand market reach for partners."

Nota AI has provided on-device AI solutions based on AI optimization technology developed across a range of edge AI applications, including smart cities, industrial safety, and mobility. Through its participation in the AMD Robotics Partner Network, the company plans to expand the application of its technology into the robotics sector.

"Data center architecture is becoming more workload-specific, and customers need systems that can be selected with purpose," said Danny Hsu, General Manager of MSI's Enterprise Platform Solutions. "MSI's latest server portfolio powered by 6^th Gen AMD EPYC Server CPUs gives organizations the platform range to build around performance, density, efficiency, and serviceability as their infrastructure evolves."

"AMD enterprise AI technologies have become the trusted foundation for the modern data center, and 6^th Gen AMD EPYC Server CPUs extend that leadership with a new level of performance, efficiency and scalability," said Dan McNamara, senior vice president and general manager, Compute and Enterprise AI, AMD. "As enterprises scale cloud, HPC, virtualization and AI workloads, EPYC CPUs provide a trusted foundation for AI performance, infrastructure consolidation and innovation, while continuing to deliver leadership general-purpose compute for the business-critical applications and workloads that keep organizations running every day."

Liquid-Cooled GPU Server
With the CG681-S6093 Liquid-Cooled 6U GPU Server, MSI advances SP7-based AI infrastructure for dense GPU deployments with strong AI host-node capability and liquid-cooling efficiency. The 6U platform supports dual 6^th Gen AMD EPYC Server CPUs, 400G networking, and E1.S NVMe storage to scale accelerated AI workloads.

Core Compute Platforms
MSI's Core Compute platforms provide 19-inch DC-MHS multi-node architectures optimized for cloud, virtualization, containerized workloads, and scale-out enterprise applications. Available in both SP7 and SP8 configurations, these air-cooled platforms allow customers to balance compute density, performance, and power efficiency across modern data centers.

• CD270-S4091-X2: 2U 2-Node (1P SP7, air-cooled) for performance-driven cloud and enterprise deployments
• CD270-S4081-X4: 2U 4-Node (1P SP8, air-cooled) for cost-efficient scale-out cloud infrastructure

Open Compute Platforms
MSI's Open Compute platforms bring 21-inch multi-node designs to ORv3 rack-scale infrastructure for cloud, HPC, AI cluster infrastructure, and scale-out enterprise workloads. Available in SP7 and SP8 designs, the platforms offer flexible socket and cooling configurations, including single-socket, dual-socket, air-cooled, and liquid-cooled options. These systems help customers build dense, serviceable compute infrastructure for large-scale deployments.

• CD281-S4091-X2: 2OU 2-Node (1P SP7, air-cooled)
• CD181-S4091-X2: 1OU 2-Node (1P SP7, liquid-cooled)
• CD282-S6091-X2: 2OU 2-Node (2P SP7, air-cooled)
• CD182-S6091-X2: 1OU 2-Node (2P SP7, liquid-cooled)
• CD281-S4081-X2: 2OU 2-Node (1P SP8, air-cooled)

Enterprise Servers
MSI's Enterprise Servers are designed for mainstream enterprise IT, virtualization, storage, database, and business-critical workloads, with 1U and 2U SP8 platforms available in both single-socket and dual-socket configurations. Featuring versatile E3.S or U.2 storage configurations, OCP 3.0 networking, and expansion flexibility, these systems help customers scale reliable enterprise infrastructure across diverse workloads.

• CX172-S4081 (1U, 1P SP8)
• CX272-S4081 (2U, 1P SP8)
• CX172-S6082 (1U, 2P SP8)
• CX272-S6082 (2U, 2P SP8)

AMD, the AMD arrow logo, EPYC, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

Photo: Trung Nguyen

Tran Ky Anh, Carbon Credit Trading manager at Vingroup, said the conglomerate had established its data infrastructure from the earliest stages of project development to support its participation in the carbon market.

“Vingroup has already built the measurement platform required for 4.5 million carbon credits from electric vehicles and charging stations, while Green Carbon Japan is awaiting approval to export carbon credits to Japan and Singapore,” he said.

Each V-Green charging station is equipped with a smart electricity meter connected to a centralised management platform, allowing charging data to be collected, stored and updated in real time. The data can be traced and verified, providing the basis for calculating emissions reductions and supporting the measurement, reporting and verification process under international carbon credit standards.

Vingroup’s electric mobility ecosystem provides the company with significant scale advantages. At its core is VinFast, supported by V-Green charging stations, Green SM ride-hailing services, and VinBus electric buses. The group has also expanded into renewable energy and high-speed rail infrastructure.

“These sectors provide a strong foundation for Vingroup to participate effectively in both domestic and international carbon markets,” Ky Anh said.

The group is currently developing two carbon credit projects. One is expected to generate one million carbon credits from the conversion of petrol-powered motorcycles to electric vehicles during 2025–2029. Meanwhile, its charging station network could generate emissions reductions equivalent to approximately 3.5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. Both projects are being developed under internationally recognised standards, including Verra and Gold Standard.

Alongside projects developed in-house, other Vietnamese companies are partnering with international organisations to generate carbon credits.

Phan Tien Thanh, business development manager at Green Carbon Japan Vietnam Co., Ltd., said the company is implementing a low-emission rice cultivation project using alternate wetting and drying techniques across around 80,000 hectares in 15 provinces, with an estimated 500,000 carbon credits expected to be generated this year.

“These carbon credits are awaiting approval from the relevant authorities before being exported to markets such as Japan, Singapore and South Korea, with Switzerland expected to follow. We expect prices to range between $15 and $30 per credit, depending on the market,” Thanh said.

Under Decree No.112/2025/ND-CP, businesses are permitted to transfer carbon credits overseas through three mechanisms: bilateral agreements between governments, mechanisms established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or independent standards such as Verra and Gold Standard.

The decree also sets limits on the proportion of carbon credits that may be transferred abroad to ensure a balance between domestic emissions' reduction targets and international trading opportunities. Projects involving electric vehicles, charging stations and low-emission rice cultivation are permitted to transfer up to 90 per cent of the credits generated, while forestry projects are subject to a 50 per cent cap.

Nguyen Tien Hai, technical director at Vietnam Energy and Environment Consultancy, said the transfer cap had disappointed some forestry project developers, although the remaining credits could still be traded on Vietnam’s domestic carbon exchange once it becomes operational.

According to Hai, allowing regulated emitters to use carbon credits to offset up to 30 per cent of their emissions quotas will create substantial domestic demand and provide a strong incentive for businesses to invest in carbon credit projects.

“This will be a major driver for project developers, as they will have opportunities to sell carbon credits in both domestic and international markets,” he said.

According to Nguyen Tuan Quang, deputy director general of the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, an increasing number of Vietnamese companies in export-oriented industries, energy, agriculture and forestry have begun developing carbon credit projects, while many localities are also exploring opportunities to monetise their emissions' reduction potential.

“Participating in the carbon market will help Vietnam fulfil its emissions' reduction commitments and create new revenue streams and strengthen the competitiveness of businesses as the economy transitions towards low-carbon development,” Quang said.

How to build and operate sustainable carbon credits

Carbon credits pave way for a green financial future

The potential ahead for forest carbon credits in Vietnam

Carbon market governance tightened to support global climate action

Vietnam to transfer additional one million carbon credits to World Bank

Vietnam’s forest carbon credits draw global interest

Vingroup consults on carbon credits for electric vehicle charging network

The ceremony took place on July 22, led by the consortium including T&T Infrastructure Investment and Development, CIENCO4, and project enterprise Quang Tri Airport Co., Ltd. The control tower, often regarded as the 'brain' of airport operations, will serve as the operational hub responsible for flight safety and coordination once the airport becomes operational.

The tower comprises 11 floors and a rooftop, with a floor height of 44.34 metres with the highest point reaching 51.73 metres. It is designed to meet stringent requirements for air traffic surveillance, flight control operations, and the installation of specialised air traffic management equipment. The venture requires exceptionally stringent standards in structural engineering, architectural design, and construction techniques.

Quang Tri Airport is being developed under the public–private partnership model. Groundbreaking took place in 2024, with total investment exceeding VND5.8 trillion. Under the master plan, the airport has been upgrade to a level 4C airport, capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. The upgrade significantly expands the airport's operational capacity and provides greater scope for its long-term development.

Construction of the airport’s other major components is progressing concurrently with the completion of the control tower. For the passenger terminal, the primary structural works have been substantially completed. Internal and external masonry and plastering are underway, while installation of the terminal’s roof steel structure, auxiliary facilities, and supporting infrastructure continues as planned.

Meanwhile, the runway has been completed. For the taxiway and airfield drainage system, organic soil stripping, mud excavation, subgrade excavation, and compaction have all been completed, achieving all the required technical specifications.

With the completion of the air traffic control tower, the consortium of investors and construction units are working to bring the Quang Tri Airport to completion on schedule. Envisioned as a modern airport, the project will drive socioeconomic development for Quang Tri and the north central region.

Quang Tri airport project to commence construction in early July The Quang Tri airport project, with an initial outlay of 5.8 trillion VND (227 million USD), will be kicked off on July 6 by a joint venture between T&T Group and CIENCO 4.

Quang Tri Airport officially starts construction Quang Tri People’s Committee and a joint venture between T&T Group and CIENCO 4 held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Quang Tri Airport project on July 6.

Quang Tri to start work on $232 million airport next year Quang Tri province will resolve the pending issues of the Quang Tri Airport project so that it can start work in 2026.

The State Bank of Vietnam has approved BVBank's plan to increase its charter capital by up to $140.16 million, raising total charter capital to nearly $400 million.

On July 14, nearly 1.08 billion VBB shares of Vietbank debuted on HSX with a reference price of $0.53 per share, climbing to $0.58 per share by July 16.

Alongside the listing, Vietbank is implementing a plan to increase its charter capital to $621.9 million, in line with the proposal approved at the bank's 2026 AGM which took place on April 24.

ABBank, meanwhile, is pressing ahead with preparations to transfer its shares from UPCoM to HSX by the end of this year, alongside a stock dividend plan aimed at strengthening its financial position.

Under its roadmap, increasing charter capital to more than $800 million will be a key requirement for ABBank to meet HSX listing criteria.

In addition to these banks, on July 15, the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) has approved the registration for trading of 900 million PCB shares of PVcomBank on UPCoM.

PVcomBank was established in 2013 through the merger of PetroVietnam Finance Corporation and Western Commercial Joint Stock Bank.

Before its UPCoM registration, PVcomBank's shareholder structure comprised Vietnam National Industry and Energy Group, which held 52 per cent of charter capital; Morgan Stanley International Holdings Inc., with 6.67 per cent; and the remaining 41.33 per cent held by minority shareholders, each owning less than 5 per cent.

Most banks planning HSX listings in the second half of 2026 still have ample room under foreign ownership limits and are targeting additional overseas investors as part of their capital-raising strategies in the coming years.

The transfer from UPCoM to HSX is expected to help Vietbank broaden its access to investment funds and international financial institutions.

Meanwhile, foreign ownership at BVBank currently stands at only around 0.06 per cent, leaving significant room to attract additional foreign capital.

At ABBank, following the International Finance Corporation's divestment of its entire stake of more than 84 million shares, equivalent to 8.2 per cent, in 2024 under an agreed roadmap, Maybank has become the bank's largest foreign shareholder with a 16.4 per cent stake.

Alongside the wave of new listings and listing transfers, many banks reported encouraging business results during the first half of 2026.

For instance, ABBank estimated its first-half pre-tax profit at $120.64 million, up 80 per cent on-year and equivalent to 67 per cent of its full-year target.

The bank’s asset quality continued to improve, with the non-performing loan ratio remaining at around 0.55 per cent, while the capital adequacy ratio stayed above 12 per cent, well above the Basel II minimum requirement of 8 per cent.

These results provide a solid foundation for the bank to accelerate its plan to increase charter capital to more than $800 million and transfer its shares to HSX by the end of the year.

At BVBank, outstanding credit reached approximately $3.4 billion in the first six months of 2026, up 8.3 per cent from the outset of the year.

The bank’s customer deposits totalled around $3.72 billion, an increase of 8.9 per cent from the start of the year. Pre-tax profit reached $20 million, fulfilling roughly 70 per cent of the annual target.

BVBank's AGM on April 16 approved a 2026 pre-tax profit target of $28 million, representing a 34 per cent increase from 2025.

Vietbank reported first-half pre-tax profit of $36.92 million, up 79.4 per cent on-year and completing around 44 per cent of its full-year target of $84 million.

Currently, 24 banks are listed on HSX and HNX, while several others, including ABBank, Saigonbank and PGBank, trade on UPCoM.

PVcomBank has recently received approval to join the market. BaoVietBank remains the only bank yet to list its shares on the stock market.

Vietcombank Securities Company believes the investment outlook for banking stocks remains in line with the broader market, with the sector trading at a price-to-book ratio of around 1.5 times, equivalent to its five-year average.

However, investment opportunities are expected to become increasingly differentiated.

Banks with strong asset quality, solid capital foundations, superior growth momentum, or exceptional catalysts such as mergers and acquisitions or restructuring are expected to continue alluring capital inflows over the medium and long term.

Banks poised for stronger H2 performance on back of credit growth Vietnam's banking sector is expected to sustain earnings growth through the second half of 2026 as stronger credit expansion, supportive policies and improving asset quality offset rising risks in some borrower segments.

SBV credit policy shift puts banks and developers in spotlight The State Bank of Vietnam's easing of capital rules and special credit treatment for strategic projects is expected to expand lending capacity, with banks, property developers and infrastructure companies emerging as the biggest beneficiaries.

Brokerage competition intensifies as market leadership narrows Vietnam's securities brokerage industry is becoming increasingly competitive, with the combined market share of the top 10 firms falling to a multi-year low in the second quarter, and only a few brokers managed to expand their presence.

The new MiTAC M2810Z6 and M2610Z6 systems, powered by 6^th Gen EPYC Server CPUs, reflect MiTAC's commitment to delivering infrastructure choices that align compute density, memory bandwidth, and I/O capability with evolving data center requirements. With support for AMD's Venice "Zen 6" architecture, PCIe Gen 6 I/O subsystem, and CXL 3.1, these platforms are engineered to meet the demands of modern AI-driven environments while optimizing power and system density.

MiTAC Computing Advances Agentic AI Infrastructure with 6th Gen AMD EPYC Server CPUs

"Agentic AI and next-generation enterprise workloads require infrastructure that is fast, scalable and efficient," said Rick Hwang, President of MiTAC Computing Technology. "By launching our latest platform powered by 6^th Gen AMD EPYC Server CPUs, MiTAC is offering customers the building blocks to deploy AI-ready infrastructure while supporting the workloads that run their business today. "

Product Highlights

MiTAC M2810Z6 – 2U 2-node, single-socket 6^th Gen AMD EPYC SP7 multi-node server
The M2810Z6 is a high-density 2U 2-node platform built around 1-socket AMD SP7 architecture per node. Each node supports a 6th Gen AMD EPYC Server CPU up to 600W cTDP, 16 DDR5 DIMM slots with up to 4TB of DDR5-8000 memory, and flexible front hot-swap NVMe storage options including E3.S, E1.S, and U.2. The platform also includes OCP 3.0 TSFF expansion to support AI, HPC, and cloud-scale deployment needs.

MiTAC M2610Z6 – 2U 2-node, single-socket 6^th Gen AMD EPYC SP8 multi-node server
The M2610Z6 is designed for enterprises seeking a cost-efficient and versatile platform for virtualization, storage, edge, and telco workloads. Featuring 1-socket AMD SP8 architecture per node, the system supports AMD EPYC™ 9006 SP8 server processors up to 400W cTDP, 16 DDR5 DIMM slots, up to 4TB of DDR5-6000 memory, and OCP 3.0 TSFF connectivity. Like the M2810Z6, it also offers flexible hot-swap NVMe storage options to support a wide range of deployment scenarios.

"Enterprise AI has moved from experimentation to production, and agentic AI will place even greater demands on compute, memory bandwidth, efficiency and system-level orchestration," said Dan McNamara, senior vice president and general manager, Compute and Enterprise AI, AMD. "With 6^th Gen AMD EPYC Server CPUs, AMD is helping customers scale enterprise AI with the performance and efficiency needed to support increasingly complex data pipelines, AI services and intelligent applications across the modern data center."

TN85-B8261 with AMD Instinct™ MI350P GPU
MiTAC will also showcase the TN85-B8261, a versatile 2U dual-socket AI server designed to accelerate demanding AI, HPC, and data analytics workloads. Featuring support for AMD Instinct™ MI350P GPUs and AMD Pensando™ Pollara 400 AI NIC, the platform delivers powerful GPU-accelerated performance for AI training and inference. Equipped with dual AMD EPYC™ 9005/9004 Series processors, up to 6TB of DDR5 memory, and support for four double-width PCIe 5.0 GPUs, the TN85-B8261 provides the compute density and scalability required by modern AI data centers. Eight hot-swap NVMe U.2 bays and Titanium-efficiency redundant power supplies further enhance performance, reliability, and deployment flexibility. For more details, please visit MiTAC's dedicated page for AMD Instinct™ MI350P GPU solutions.

52U High-Density AI Liquid-Cooled Rack: G4826Z5 AI servers with up to 96 AMD Instinct™ MI355X GPUs and AMD Pensando™ Pollara 400 AI NIC
MiTAC will also present a rack-scale AI infrastructure solution engineered for next-generation AI factories and large-scale model training. Integrating 12 MiTAC G4826Z5 AI servers with up to 96 AMD Instinct™ MI355X GPUs, the platform delivers 50% higher GPU density per rack compared to conventional AI deployments while reducing data center footprint by up to 33%. Built on MiTAC's turnkey rack-scale integration approach, the solution combines advanced liquid cooling, optimized power delivery, networking, and CDU integration to maximize performance, efficiency, and scalability, enabling customers to deploy high-density AI infrastructure with lower TCO and accelerated time-to-deployment.

G8825Z5 with Diamond Cooling^® technology
MiTAC will also showcase the G8825Z5 Diamond-cooled AI server, an advanced platform designed to maximize AI performance and energy efficiency for next-generation data centers. Leveraging Akash Systems' proprietary Diamond Cooling^® technology and powered by AMD Instinct™ MI350X GPUs and AMD Pensando™ Pollara 400 AI NIC, the solution delivers up to 50% more AI tokens per watt under standard operating conditions while maintaining throttle-free performance at inlet temperatures above 95°F. The innovative thermal design reduces cooling requirements and improves overall system efficiency, helping lower both CapEx and OpEx. By combining high-performance AI acceleration with breakthrough cooling innovation, the G8825Z5 enables customers to deploy more sustainable and cost-effective AI infrastructure for large-scale training and inference workloads.

AI Rack Testing Capability
MiTAC also offers three AI racks powered by AMD Instinct™ MI350 GPUs and AMD EPYC™ CPUs, enabling up to 96 engineers and developers to remotely log in for testing and validation. This shared-access environment supports collaborative AI development, workload benchmarking, and faster iteration for teams evaluating next-generation AI infrastructure.

Empowering Future-Ready Enterprise Transformation

MiTAC delivers diversified AI infrastructure, spanning CPU systems to liquid-cooled racks. Combining AMD platforms with MiTAC's integration expertise seamlessly optimizes customer workloads. This builds future-ready infrastructure for AI, HPC, and enterprise transformation.

Please visit the 6^th Gen EPYC Server CPUs landing page to learn more about the launch details. Or see MiTAC Computing Technology Corporation website: https://www.mitaccomputing.com/

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, EPYC, AMD Instinct, and the combination thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

According to the filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on July 15, Nike said that Vietnam accounted for 52 per cent of its global footwear production and 34 per cent of its global apparel production in 2026.

As of May 31, contract manufacturers operated 95 finished goods footwear factories across 11 countries. For fiscal 2026, Nike-brand footwear was manufactured by 15 contract manufacturers, many operating multiple factories. Factories in Vietnam produced approximately 52 per cent of total Nike-brand footwear, followed by Indonesia at 27 per cent and China at 16 per cent. Vietnam's share increased from 51 per cent in 2025.

Contract manufacturers operated 321 finished goods apparel factories in 34 countries, with 64 manufacturers producing Nike-brand apparel for fiscal 2026. Factories in Vietnam produced approximately 34 per cent of total Nike-brand apparel, up from 31 per cent in fiscal 2025. Factories in Cambodia and China produced 15 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.

According to Nike, its supply chain in Vietnam comprises 181 supplier facilities, including 149 finished product factories and 39 materials facilities. Of the 149 finished goods factories, there are 83 apparel factories, 42 footwear factories, and 17 equipment facilities. These facilities employ close to 461,000 workers, with women accounting for 76 per cent of the workforce and an average worker age of 32.

Vietnam's growing role in Nike's global supply chain underscores the country's strategic importance to the US footwear industry amid ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral trade ties.

During a working session with leaders of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) on July 14, Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung stated that Vietnam is an important link in the global footwear supply chain of the US. He explained that maintaining a stable, fair, and predictable trading environment is a shared interest of businesses and consumers of both nations. He called on the FDRA to continue to engage with the US government to support appropriate trade policies.

Matt Priest, president and CEO of the FDRA, said, “Vietnam is a strategic partner and a vital source of footwear supply for the US market. The production capacity, product quality, and reliability of Vietnamese enterprises have contributed to creating an efficient supply chain for many US brands and retailers. Thus, maintaining a stable supply chain with Vietnam not only benefits businesses but also helps guarantee the interests of US consumers.”

Vietnam remains largest manufacturer of Nike products Vietnam is the largest manufacturer of Nike footwear and apparel products for a second year in a row, according to Nike's report for fiscal year 2024 ending May.

Vietnam’s leather-footwear industry sees double-digit export growth in H1 Vietnam's leather and footwear industry posted more than $14 billion in total export value in the first six months of the year, reaffirming its resilience and strategic position in the global supply chain.

Syre and Nike to launch 'gigascale' textile recycling plant Swedish textile recycling company Syre is moving ahead with plans for its first large-scale textile-to-textile recycling plant in Vietnam.

More than a culinary gift, this year's collection sends a message of honouring traditional cultural values ​​and affirming Muong Thanh's mission to preserve Vietnamese identity.

Every Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes bearing the distinctive mark of Muong Thanh are quietly researched and created by the talented hands of Vi Kitchen's head chefs.

Originally, these meticulously crafted gifts were made to express gratitude to partners and loyal customers. The love, praise, and anticipation from customers have been a huge driving force behind the group's widespread launch of this premium mooncake line on the market.

The 2026 mooncake collection "Heritage sound - Embracing affection" is a perfect blend of familiar traditional flavours and modern touches. From the creamy lotus seed paste and refreshing mung bean filling to signature fillings like lotus seed with shredded pork, red bean, green tea, and chocolate… all ingredients are carefully selected, offering a complete experience that evokes childhood memories.

Each mooncake ensures a harmonious balance of taste and nutrition but also awakens childhood memories, familiar yet unique, providing a complete, authentic, and rustic culinary experience.

Beyond the value of an ordinary gift, Muong Thanh's collection of mooncakes this year stems from a desire to preserve and spread the story of Vietnamese culture. Inspired by the unique sounds of traditional musical instruments from the northern mountainous region, the packaging designs depict a reunion with the melodious sounds of the zither and flute, along with traditional melodies imbued with the colours of the mountains and forests.

Each preserved "sound" is a testament to the perseverance and meticulousness of folk artisans. As a Vietnamese corporation, Muong Thanh has consistents its mission of promoting and preserving national cultural heritage and bringing Vietnamese identity into every brand touchpoint. Whether viewed from preserving heritage or the dynamism of the hospitality industry, the core spirit through Muong Thanh's values ​​is: Deep love and pride for Vietnamese traditional culture.

To help individual and corporate customers prepare the most sincere thank-you gifts for partners and loved ones, Muong Thanh Group is launching an early bird promotion programme with many privileges, including attractive discounts for orders placed before August 15, and an exclusive discount policy for corporate customers ordering in large quantities.

Beside this, there is a custom logo printing service for each business to personalise thank-you gifts, with a free delivery to inner-city areas where Muong Thanh hotels are located.

Young artists shine in Muong Thanh drawing contest Muong Thanh Group celebrated young talent at its annual ‘Travel with Muong Thanh’ drawing contest, showcasing children’s artistic creativity and love for Vietnam

Muong Thanh launches Lunar New Year gifts inspired by tradition As Lunar New Year approaches, Muong Thanh Group is tapping into nostalgia with a festive gift collection that draws on the flavours and memories of traditional Vietnamese Tet.

Xoe Thai dance takes centre stage at Muong Thanh Tet 2026 Muong Thanh Tet 2026 has launched across the hospitality group's hotel system, blending Xoe Thai dance performances with post-Lunar New Year celebrations as the company shifts towards larger-scale projects.

VITM 2026 promotes digital and green tourism A major tourism event is helping to promote sustainable development alongside environmental protection and the application of digital technology to enhance competitiveness.

Inspired by the refined beauty of osmanthus blossoms, autumn moonlight and the passage of time, this year’s collection retells a traditional story through a more modern and elegant expression.

Every detail is thoughtfully curated to evoke familiar moonlit seasons, where flavours, memories and the art of gifting continue to be cherished year after year.

The box design is distinguished by a deep muted green palette, paired with graceful ivory tones and delicate antique gold accents. Osmanthus motifs, moonlight-inspired details and soft flowing lines create a harmonious blend of understated Eastern elegance and contemporary gifting sensibility.

Alongside the Traditional Box, the VIP edition is elevated with a two-layer structure, thoughtfully designed to hold mooncakes and accompanying gifts separately, offering a more luxurious option for the season of appreciation.

Minimal yet elegant in spirit, “The timeless fragrance of memory” is a gift that conveys wishes of connection, fulfilment and lasting harmony. More than a mooncake box, the collection is a refined gesture of appreciation for loved ones, partners and treasured relationships.

With 18 beautifully crafted gift options, the collection offers a wide range of choices-from traditional 4-cake and 8-cake boxes to exclusive VIP sets paired with premium tea, fine wines, and our signature artisanal horse-themed pen holder and business card stand. These thoughtfully curated sets serve as the perfect expression of love and connection.

A flavourful journey unfolds through eight unique, handcrafted fillings

A flavourful journey unfolds through eight unique, handcrafted fillings made from the finest, freshest ingredients. Each box design features a curated selection of these flavours, offering a distinct experience tailored to every edition, including salted egg yolk, premium pineapple, mung bean and coconut milk, taro, coffee and cheese, among others.

Customers will enjoy exclusive privileges, including great savings on a minimum purchase of 50 boxes, and complimentary delivery for a minimum purchase of 20 boxes to a single location within 5km from the hotel. Besides this, a personalised company logo will be added complimentary or at a special price for purchases by August 20.

Situated at the edge of the city centre, Pan Pacific Hanoi provides a harbour of tranquil balance in bustling Hanoi, with 328 fully furnished rooms and suites presenting magnificent views of the poetic West Lake, and an array of recreational facilities furnished with thoughtful touches for your complete relaxation.

Especially, Pan Pacific Hanoi is well-known for a delectable fusion of Western and Eastern gastronomy in Pacifica Restaurant (All-day dining), Ming Restaurant (Cantonese cuisine), Song Hong Bar and the panoramic rooftop bar The Summit, promising the finest dining experience for your stay.

Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City rolls out mooncake set Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City unveils its “Graceful Peonies in Autumn” mooncake concept for this Mid-Autumn festival, a time when families and friends gather to honour tradition and indulge in seasonal delicacies.

Mia Saigon introduces beauty of nature with mooncake collection Mia Saigon Hotel introduces Mia Luxury Collection's Nguyet Hoa or Moonlit Blossoms mooncake collection in the shape of a cylindrical mooncake box with a stylised handle, evoking the elegance of a handbag.

Pan Pacific Hanoi kicks off 2026 art awards celebrating young and disabled artists Pan Pacific Hanoi, in collaboration with the Vietnam University of Fine Arts (VUFA), launched the third edition of the Pan Pacific Hanoi Art Award in early November.

Young artists honoured at Pan Pacific Hanoi Art Awards Pan Pacific Hanoi has concluded the third edition of its annual art award on April 7, recognising young and emerging talents under the 2026 theme ‘Horizons of Tomorrow.’

At AMD Advancing AI 2026, Advantech will showcase its latest 2U 4-node edge server and EATX server board, demonstrating how its workload-ready server solutions enable customers to build scalable, high-performance AI and edge computing infrastructure with greater deployment confidence.

Continuing Performance Leadership with AMD EPYC 9006 Series Processors

6^th Gen AMD EPYC server CPUs bring continued leadership in performance, efficiency, memory bandwidth, and next-generation I/O. Featuring up to 128 cores and 256 threads, advanced 2nm process technology, "Zen 6" and "Zen 6c" architecture, up to 20% average generational performance uplift, and up to 20% performance-per-watt improvement, AMD EPYC 9006 Series processors are designed to support more virtual machines, higher throughput, and better system efficiency. With up to 128 PCIe Gen6 lanes per CPU, CXL™ 3.1 memory expansion, and support for DDR5 8000NHz and MRDIMM 12800MHz for high memory bandwidth, Advantech edge server solutions deliver balanced compute, memory, and I/O performance for next-generation AI, telco, edge, and storage infrastructure.

Key Features Include:

• Up to 128 cores / 256 threads with "Zen 6" and "Zen 6c" architecture
• Advanced 2nm process technology for improved performance and efficiency
• Up to 20% average generational performance uplift and 20% performance-per-watt improvement
• DDR5-8000 and MRDIMM 12.8G support for higher memory bandwidth and capacity
• PCIe^® Gen6 scalability: up to 128 lanes for 1 CPU and up to 196 lanes for 2 CPUs
• CXL™ 3.1 support for optimized memory expansion

Comprehensive Edge Server Solutions from Edge to Cloud

Advantech's edge server portfolio powered by AMD EPYC™ 9006 Series processors delivers a complete board-to-system lineup for AI infrastructure, data centers, cloud, HCI, HPC, edge computing, industrial applications, and high-performance networking. The first-wave portfolio includes:
(1) The SKY-642E5, 4U MGX GPU server, for large-scale AI acceleration
(2) The SKY-722E5, 2U DC-MHS server with DC-SCM support, for modular data center and edge AI deployments
(3) The SKY-712E5, 1U DC-MHS server, supporting HHHL and FH-3/4L expansion cards for high-density enterprise edge and cloud workloads
(4) The SKY-822E5, 2U short-depth DC-SCM modular server, supporting 2–3 dual-slot GPU cards for space-constrained edge data centers
(5) The SKY-924E5F, 2U 4-node front-access server, for distributed edge computing,
(6) The ASMB-982 & ASMB-832 server boards for flexible, high-expandability system designs.

These new platforms also support PCIe Gen6 scalability, GPU-optimized architecture, advanced DDR5/MRDIMM memory, and AFA-ready high-density E1.S/E3.S NVMe SSD storage to meet low-latency data access, high-throughput storage performance, and scalable infrastructure for data-intensive AI and edge-cloud workloads.

Expanding the portfolio further, Advantech also introduces the FWA-6084, the 2U network appliance and is designed for demanding network security and edge AI workloads. It features DDR5/MRDIMM memory capability, eight Gen6 network module cards, and one PCIe Gen5 x16 slot for GPU or add-on card expansion. It is well positioned to support line-speed multiple 200G network workloads without compromise.

Together with Advantech's unique service advantages—including 3-5-10 service guarantee, strict revision control, stable component supply, worldwide local support, and custom-ready integration—the new portfolio supports customers reduce deployment risk, secure long-term product roadmaps, and accelerate workload-ready AI and edge-cloud infrastructure from concept to deployment.

Explore more product information, please contact us or visit the Advantech x AMD website. (www.advantech.com)

(From left) Pang Kong Bin, Chairman, SG Alliance; Warren Lim, Chief Executive Officer, finexis advisory; Irene Ho, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, finexis advisory; Adrian Vincent, Chief Executive Officer, FWD Singapore; Tomas Urbanec, Chief Executive Officer, Ascend Asia; Binayak Dutta, Senior Managing Director, South-East Asia, FWD Group; Caster Ong, Chief Executive Officer, SG Alliance; and Poh Choon Kia, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Infinity Financial Advisory.

This partnership brings together FWD's customer-led product capabilities and digital servicing strengths with Ascend Asia's governance framework, adviser network and technology-enabled platform. It aims to support the continued evolution of Singapore's advisory landscape and deliver greater value to customers over the long-term.

Ascend Asia's customers across the retail, mass affluent and high-net-worth ("HNW") segments have access to FWD's full suite of solutions available to financial advisory firms, including life insurance, investment-linked products and HNW offerings. Customers will also benefit from a wider selection of investment options, with Ascend Asia Asset Management funds now included as sub-funds on FWD's investment-linked product portfolio. Both organisations will also collaborate on selected analytics and technology initiatives to generate deeper insights into customer needs, facilitate product innovation and enhance advisory tools.

Operating fully within the open architecture financial advisory ecosystem, FWD aims to support the industry's shift towards greater transparency, disciplined governance and technology-enabled advisory processes.

Adrian Vincent, Chief Executive Officer of FWD Singapore, said, "As the open architecture financial advisory model gains momentum in Singapore, our partnership with Ascend Asia, alongside our longstanding collaboration with IPP Financial Advisers, reflects FWD's commitment to raising the standard of financial planning. With consumers becoming increasingly discerning about how they access financial advice and ongoing support, we are confident in the future of the open architecture model and congratulate Ascend Asia on its investment in strengthening the independent financial advisory ecosystem.

With Singapore becoming a super-aged society, facing a significant critical illness protection gap and strengthening its position as a global wealth hub, these partnerships will further enable us to meet evolving customer needs at scale."

Tomas Urbanec, Chief Executive Officer of Ascend Asia, said, "Our mission is to empower our member firms with the strategic investment, structure and tools they need to thrive and support their clients along their wealth journeys. Close collaboration with our partners in areas like product and customer proposition development extends choice for customers and amplifies the impact of our open architecture model. This partnership with FWD broadens access to a strong range of customer-focused solutions and technology-enabled experiences for advisers on the Ascend Asia platform, and we look forward to unlocking superior outcomes for our member firms' advisers and clients."

The partnership was formally commemorated with a celebratory event held at the newly launched Ascend Asia Wealth Centre. The event brought together senior leaders from FWD Singapore, FWD Group, Ascend Asia and representatives from Ascend Asia's member firms. Attendees included Adrian Vincent, CEO of FWD Singapore; Tomas Urbanec, CEO of Ascend Asia; Binayak Dutta, Senior MD, SouthEast Asia, FWD Group; together with management team of FWD Singapore and Ascend Asia member firms.

This event marked the start of the long-term strategic partnership and reaffirming the shared commitment of all parties to strengthening Singapore's open architecture financial advisory ecosystem through closer collaboration, innovation and customer-centric advice.

For more information, please visit www.fwd.com.sg.

Over three-quarters of accountants globally reported increased operating costs in the second quarter (Q2), above the previous record set in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, amid soaring commodity prices and supply chain disruptions resulting from the conflict. Strikingly, 83 per cent of CFOs experienced increased costs, following a record-breaking rise of over 20 percentage points from Q1. This is close to series peaks recorded in 2022 and 2023.

Despite soaring costs, there was some recovery in confidence among accountants globally in Q2, from what was close to a record low in Q1. While they remain quite downbeat by historical standards, the improvement likely reflects the relative resilience of the global economy and signs at the time of the survey of movement towards a potential resolution of the conflict, which may have reduced fears of worst-case scenarios.

That said, declines in the Global New Orders, Capital Expenditure and Employment indices point to some slowing in global growth, likely reflecting headwinds from increased private sector caution, rising inflation, and tighter-than-expected monetary policy, although they do not appear to be signalling a major economic slowdown.

Confidence among accountants remains weak by historical standards in North America and Western Europe, but after a sharp recovery in Q2 is now meaningfully above average in Asia-Pacific. While the region is very exposed to developments in the Middle East, hopes of a potential resolution of the conflict and the relative resilience of the global economy have likely been factors boosting sentiment, as well as the global AI boom, of which the region’s exporters are major beneficiaries.

Economic pressures returned as accountants' top risk priority in Q2 2026, at 22 per cent, ahead of geopolitical instability at 20per cent and cybersecurity at 14 per cent. Respondents described how understanding today's risk landscape extends beyond traditional economic cycle management, pointing to the converging effects of prolonged wars, rising cybercrime and policy uncertainty. AI featured prominently, with comments focusing on sustainable value, cyber resilience and accountability.

“The AI boom is providing major support to the global economy and financial markets, but developments in the Middle East over coming months will be crucial. If progress can be made in resolving the conflict, that would clearly be supportive for global growth as we progress through the second half of 2026. But downside risks would quickly build if there were a return to major hostilities and surge in energy prices,” said Alain Mulder, senior director, Europe Operations and Global Special Projects at IMA.

Jonathan Ashworth, chief economist at ACCA, noted that sharply rising costs were a major issue for firms in the second quarter.

"If they increasingly try to pass these on to consumers, this would significantly raise the risk of policy tightening by the world's major central banks," Ashworth said. "That said, policymakers will be hoping for favourable developments on the diplomatic front and a return of oil prices to around pre-crisis levels, potentially allowing them to sit on their hands for the rest of 2026."

"Despite some improvement in confidence, accountants globally remain very cautious, likely reflecting the uncertain operating environment which has become the 'new normal' in recent years," he added.

ACCA and VACPA deepen partnership to support Vietnam's green finance transition The renewal of the MoU between ACCA Vietnam and the VACPA marks not only a new chapter in their long-standing partnership, but also a shared commitment to build a transparent, sustainable financial ecosystem and address the growing risk of greenwashing.

Career guidance aligned with global norms gain traction Moves to reinforce career guidance in general education are advancing, supported by initiatives that incorporate international professional standards into pathways for secondary school students.

Small business ESG strategies unlocked A true sustainability ecosystem requires global endorsement, genuine green financing, and technology solutions to lower the cost of implementation for businesses.

Announced on July 23, the deployment supports GEODIS' wider commitment to reduce emissions and contribute to Vietnam's transition to low-emission transport.

To operate last mile business-to-business and business-to-consumer deliveries for customers across the luxury and retail sectors, GEODIS will deploy the VinFast EC Van 2026. The company is one of the first logistics providers to introduce electric powered urban distribution in Vietnam.

“Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration in supply chain decisions, but customers also expect reliability, flexibility and speed. Our focus is on demonstrating that electric vehicles can deliver on all of these requirements in a real-world urban environment. This deployment gives us valuable operational insights that will help us expand lower-carbon delivery solutions as the market continues to evolve,” said Chandler So, managing director of GEODIS Vietnam.

Purpose-built for urban transportation, the VinFast EC Van combines compact dimensions with high cargo efficiency, making it well suited for navigating city streets and varied road conditions while maintaining delivery reliability. The EV is designed to support daily delivery operations while helping to reduce noise and contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through zero tailpipe emissions.

In Vietnam, GEODIS is working closely with key ecosystem partners, including vehicle manufacturers and infrastructure stakeholders, to support EV deployment readiness, operational reliability, and future fleet scalability. GEODIS will continue to assess opportunities to expand its electric vehicle fleet and introduce additional lower-carbon logistics initiatives across its operations in Vietnam.

Throughout the Asia-Pacific and Middle East region, GEODIS is adopting lower carbon options, e.g. electric or biodiesel vehicles, for first/last mile transportation where operationally feasible.

TBS Logistics Center leads local logistics TBS Logistics Center, a subsidiary of TBS Group, is positioned to capitalise on the increasing demand for warehouse space and logistics services in Vietnam.

SITC launches container depot in Danang Hong Kong-headquartered SITC on July 10 announced that the company had launched its container depot in Danang, securing a stronger footprint in central Vietnam.

Yusen Logistics opens Hung Yen Logistics Centre On July 21, Yusen Logistics (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. officially opened its newest flagship facility, the Yusen Hung Yen Logistics Centre.