Peter Bernhardt, team leader of the ARISE+ Vietnam project Since coming into force in August 2021, the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) has become an effective tool for boosting trade ties between the EU and Vietnam. What should Vietnam pay attention to in order to benefit more from this deal? I agree that the overall picture of EVFTA performance in this starting period, where exporters and government authorities from both sides have to adapt to the new situation, looks definitely promising. The EVFTA is the most ambitious FTA that the EU has ever signed with a developing country. The deal will mutually lift about 99 per cent of the tariffs within 10 years. Duty was lifted from 65 per cent of EU exports to Vietnam and 71 per cent of Vietnamese exports to the EU, immediately after the EVFTA came into effect. As most Vietnamese exporting products are consumer products, the real challenge Vietnam exporters will face to comply with EU consumer protection regulations is … [Read more...] about EU supporting comprehensive implementation of the EVFTA
Leaf zero emissions
Additional oil spike impacts cannot be ruled out
Marcel Schröder, Economist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department Asian Development Bank At the beginning of the conflict, the crude oil price breached $130 per barrel in March, the highest since 2008. Since then, it retreated to about $100 in April, before rising again to $120 following the European Union’s partial ban on Russian oil in May. Some worry that the oil price could spike to $200 per barrel in the coming months and how such a shock would impact the economic prospects of Asia’s developing countries. While many institutions, including ours, project a significantly higher oil price in 2022 compared with 2021, these predictions do not foresee $200 per barrel because they attach a low probability of a sudden shock to the global oil supply. A sudden shock is unlikely given the EU’s decision to gradually phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022, allowing an orderly transition to alternative supplies and keeping prices stable and affordable for … [Read more...] about Additional oil spike impacts cannot be ruled out
Picturesque nature, delicious food call tourists to Hue
Tourists visiting Hue City in Thua Thien-Hue Province should stand next to the Huong (Perfume) River and take a deep breath, while listening to the honeyed voice of Hue residents. They will truly feel how lovely Hue is. Hue’s climate is so special. It is scorching in summer, which lasts from March to August, while temperatures plunge in winter and turns quite cool in spring, which is from January to March. The rainy season in Hue, located in central Vietnam, lasts from October to January. Thuy Xuan Incense Village is a popular destination for the youth in Hue. Situated on Huyen Tran Cong Chua Street and around seven kilometers from the center of the city, it takes 15 minutes to travel to the village by motorbike. The village attracts tourists with colorful incense bunches. Tourists can buy conical leaf hats and use them as an accessory to take photos or give them as a souvenir. Photo: Ngoc Quyen / Tuoi Tre Tourists from large cities can come to Hue by plane, … [Read more...] about Picturesque nature, delicious food call tourists to Hue