Vietnam Weekly: Vietnam advances high-tech push, AI law, and nuclear-rail initiatives

November 7, 2025 to November 13, 2025

This week's top 10 stories from Vietnam, selected from our daily intelligence briefs.

1. US-Vietnam Business Summit Sets Push for High-Tech Investment, Market-Economy Recognition, and Reciprocal Trade Deal

At the 8th US–Vietnam Business Summit in Hanoi, Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son urged expanded US investment in semiconductors, clean energy, digital transformation and workforce training, while pressing Washington to lift D1/D3 export controls, recognize Vietnam’s market-economy status and negotiate a reciprocal trade pact. U.S. officials— including Assistant Secretary Michael G. DeSombre and Ambassador Marc Knapper — and private-sector leaders signaled alignment, framing Vietnam as a strategic node for resilient supply chains and pledging support for collaboration in R&D, data centers, AI, offshore wind, hydrogen and logistics integration with major U.S. retailers, conditional on regulatory easing and continued institutional reform.

Speakers at SEMIExpo Vietnam 2025 underscored the country’s opportunity to move up semiconductor equipment supply chains if macro policy, IP/security standards and firm-level execution converge; NIC Director Vu Quoc Huy noted a government plan to train 50,000 engineers by 2030. Industry figures—Applied Materials’ Brian Tan, Besi’s Henk Jan Jonge Poerink and others—stressed the need for strict quality control, sustainability, confidentiality and adoption of international technical standards, highlighting that gains for U.S. firms and Vietnam depend on faster regulatory alignment and sustained R&D and talent investment.

Local Coverage: vietnamplus.vn, tuoitre.vn, vneconomy.vn

From daily briefs: 2025-11-09, 2025-11-13

2. AI Law Project Submitted to National Assembly as Vietnam Maps Out Compute and Talent Strategy

Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology has submitted a draft Artificial Intelligence Law to the National Assembly, positioning the country among early movers after the EU, South Korea and Japan. The proposed framework emphasizes risk-based governance to encourage innovation while the state commits to building sovereign compute capacity: a $300 million national AI supercomputing center staged over three years with an initial $100 million phase in 2026, plus a National AI Development Fund and “AI vouchers” to spur domestic adoption. Officials including Minister Nguyen Manh Hung and Ho Duc Thang framed AI as strategic national infrastructure and advocated open-technology approaches and public procurement that favor domestic capabilities.

Policymakers and industry leaders at a Hanoi forum on November 8 tied the law and compute investments to a broader industrial strategy—boosting chip design, packaging and testing and dual-skilled talent in semiconductors and advanced AI—to climb the global semiconductor value chain. Adoption gaps and workforce constraints remain: AWS estimated 18% of Vietnamese firms had adopted AI by September 2025, UNESCO ranks Vietnam 26th in AI research, and only about 8% of factories reportedly use AI versus roughly 40% in China. BCG projects AI could add up to $130 billion to Vietnam’s GDP by 2040, underscoring both economic upside and the urgency of the proposed legal and capital measures.

Local Coverage: vnexpress.net, vietnamplus.vn

From daily briefs: 2025-11-09, 2025-11-10

3. EU Deforestation Rule Takes Effect for Key Exports as Hanoi Advances Compliance Framework

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) takes effect for large companies on December 30 for seven commodity chains, with SMEs subject to phased application from June 30, 2026; Vietnam’s wood, coffee and rubber sectors are directly affected. Vietnamese authorities say the country has been classified by the EU as low‑risk—implying about a 1% documentary/physical check rate versus up to 8% for higher‑risk competitors—thanks to a 2016 halt on natural forest logging, VPA/FLEGT engagement and annual forest inventories.

At a Nov. 6 Hanoi roundtable, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and Forestry Administration outlined a compliance framework: a national data platform and risk‑tiered database integrated with VNTLAS, polygon‑based farm mapping pilots, chain‑of‑custody systems, and targeted guidance for the wood sector before Jan. 1, 2026. Persistent challenges remain—geolocating dispersed smallholder plots and tracing imported wood inputs—while the EU and partners (including GIZ) pledge capacity‑building and streamlined declarations for SMEs, with technical support and provincial action plans underway.

Local Coverage: thanhnien.vn, vneconomy.vn

From daily briefs: 2025-11-07, 2025-11-09

4. Politburo Orders 2026 Start for Nuclear Plant and International Rail, Greenlights Digital and Gold Exchanges

The Communist Party’s Politburo issued Conclusion 203 directing agencies to prioritize maximum growth in 2025 and prepare for “double‑digit” expansion from 2026, setting concrete numerical targets of at least 8% GDP growth in 2025 and 10%+ for 2026–2030. Following a nine‑year review of Resolution 05 that praised gains in productivity‑led growth but flagged overreliance on public investment and credit, uneven regional performance and macro‑stability risks, the Central Policy and Strategy Board will draft a new Central Committee resolution and an action programme for the 14th Central Committee.

The conclusion also orders finalization of legal and institutional frameworks to launch an International Financial Center, a Digital Asset Exchange and a Gold Exchange, and schedules early‑2026 groundbreakings for nationally significant infrastructure: the eastern section of the North–South Expressway, the Ninh Thuận nuclear power plant, and an international railway. For international professionals, the directive signals an accelerated, state‑led push into large energy, transport and financial market initiatives with attendant regulatory reforms intended to unlock private and foreign capital while heightening macroeconomic and political prioritization of rapid growth.

Local Coverage: tuoitre.vn, vnexpress.net, thanhnien.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn

From daily brief: 2025-11-09

5. National Assembly Debates Planning Reforms, National Master Plan Adjustments and Cybersecurity Laws

Vietnam’s National Assembly opened debate on comprehensive planning reforms tied to an adjusted National Master Plan 2021–2030 and parallel revisions to the Cybersecurity Law and the Law on Protection of State Secrets. The government proposes redefining six socio‑economic regions, expanding national growth hubs (including a new North Central Coast hub), and targeting average GDP growth above 10% for 2026–2030 with per‑capita income of about USD 8,500 by 2030. Draft amendments to the Planning Law and the Urban and Rural Planning Law would streamline plan hierarchies, accelerate approvals and transfer more authority to provinces and ministries; the Economic and Finance Committee backed fast‑track passage while urging safeguards for plan quality and long‑term stability.

Delegates raised operational risks and environmental concerns, notably calls to protect flood corridors in urban plans and warnings against over‑decentralization to under‑resourced communes. Afternoon sessions focused on tightening data security and protections for critical information systems, plus clearer secrecy classifications under the updated cybersecurity and state‑secrets frameworks—signals that Hanoi intends simultaneous institutional and digital governance shifts with material implications for investors, local administrators and infrastructure planners.

Local Coverage: tuoitre.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, vneconomy.vn, baotintuc.vn, vneconomy.vn

From daily brief: 2025-11-08

6. Industrial Output Accelerates 9.2% as Trade Tops $762B and Surplus Hits $19.6B in 10 Months

Official data for October and the first 10 months of 2025 show strong industrial and trade momentum: industrial production (IIP) rose 2.4% month‑on‑month in October and 10.8% year‑on‑year, with cumulative IIP up 9.2% through October. Manufacturing led gains (+10.5%) while mining fell slightly (‑0.1%); standout sectors included autos (+23.5%), rubber/plastics (+17.3%) and non‑metallic minerals (+16.8%). Employment in industrial firms increased 3.6% year‑on‑year, with foreign‑direct‑investment (FDI) enterprises up 4.1%.

Trade performance reinforced the expansion: goods turnover for the 10 months reached $762.44 billion (+17.4%), with exports of $391.0 billion (+16.2%) and imports of $371.44 billion (+18.6%), producing a $19.56 billion surplus. Processing‑manufacturing represented 88.7% of exports; the FDI sector accounted for 75.9% of exports and a $42.39 billion surplus while the domestic sector ran a $22.83 billion deficit. The U.S. was the largest export market ($126.2 billion) and China the biggest source of imports ($150.9 billion), underscoring continued export dependence on FDI and the importance of U.S.–China trade links for supply‑chain and policy assessments.

Local Coverage: vietnamplus.vn, vneconomy.vn, vneconomy.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vietnamplus.vn

From daily brief: 2025-11-07

7. Ministers Advance U.S.–Vietnam Reciprocal Trade Deal with 20% Countervailing Tariff Framework

U.S. and Vietnamese trade ministers met in Washington, D.C. on November 10 for the eighth ministerial round on a proposed Reciprocal, Fair and Balanced Trade Agreement, setting directions to resolve outstanding issues ahead of technical negotiations scheduled for November 12–14, 2025. The ministers built on an October joint framework in which Vietnam would provide broad market access for U.S. agricultural and industrial exports while the U.S. would retain a reciprocal 20% tariff under an executive order, with the option to designate specific products for a 0% rate. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer characterized the framework as a solid basis to accelerate talks; Vietnam’s Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Hong Dien urged pragmatic, flexible solutions to close gaps and align the deal with the countries’ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Analytically, the session was pitched as pivotal for translating principles into detailed terms that could unlock wider U.S. market access for Vietnamese goods and attract high-tech and logistics investment into Vietnam, strengthening its supply‑chain positioning. The agreed timetable for technical talks and the ministers’ call for focused problem‑solving indicate momentum, but key commercial designations and tariff carve‑outs remain to be negotiated—decisions that will determine the agreement’s sectoral winners and its broader geopolitical and economic implications.

Local Coverage: thanhnien.vn, tuoitre.vn, vneconomy.vn, vietnamplus.vn

From daily briefs: 2025-11-12, 2025-11-13

8. Controlled Short Selling Under Study with T+0 Options as Market Upgrade Plan Advances

Vietnam’s Finance Ministry has instructed the State Securities Commission, Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation (VSD), and stock exchanges to design controlled securities lending, borrowing and short-selling frameworks using same‑day (T+0) and pending‑settlement mechanisms, with formal regulations and a roadmap due as part of a market upgrade programme scheduled for 2026–2028. Pilot short‑selling trials could begin as early as 2025; cash‑market short selling is currently prohibited in Vietnam, though short positions exist in VN30 futures under margin rules. VSD Chairman Nguyen Son signalled a cautious, risk‑managed rollout: “We will gradually bring in products that we can control the risks for.”

The plan also includes implementation of a central counterparty (CCP) clearing model, an upgrade of the KRX system, removal of pre‑funding requirements, improved foreign ownership transparency, and introduction of omnibus accounts by 2030 to boost foreign access. The measures follow FTSE Russell’s announced reclassification of Vietnam to Secondary Emerging market status in September 2026, contingent on a March 2026 review of access via global brokers, and aim to address market infrastructure and access constraints that currently limit international participation.

Local Coverage: vnexpress.net

From daily brief: 2025-11-12

9. Investment Law Overhaul Seeks Faster Approvals, Fewer Licenses, and Clearer Market Access

Vietnam’s government has proposed sweeping amendments to the Investment Law intended to speed approvals, reduce licenses and clarify market access for foreign and domestic investors. The draft narrows projects requiring prior investment policy approval to major infrastructure, land and sea-use, and projects with significant environmental or security impacts, while allowing many other categories—such as industrial cluster infrastructure, onshore mining and certain housing/urban auctions—to proceed without prior approval. It also removes pre-licensing across 25 conditional business lines (including accounting services, rice exports, data centers and cosmetic surgery) in favor of post-licensing checks, and would permit foreign investors to establish entities without a pre-existing project if they meet market‑access conditions. Outbound-investment approvals by the National Assembly and Prime Minister would be eliminated for most deals, with transactions under VND 20 billion instead subject only to foreign‑exchange registration.

Lawmakers and officials broadly support simplification but press for clearer criteria and stronger oversight as authority shifts to the Prime Minister and provincial chairpersons. Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang and National Assembly Economic and Financial Committee Chair Phan Van Mai emphasized equal treatment of foreign and domestic investors and limiting approvals to cases essential for national defense, security or public health; committee members warned that robust post‑audit mechanisms and transparent control systems will be critical to prevent regulatory arbitrage and protect planning alignment.

Local Coverage: baotintuc.vn, vietnamplus.vn, vnexpress.net, tuoitre.vn, thanhnien.vn, com.vn

From daily brief: 2025-11-12

10. Trade Surplus Nears $20 Billion as Customs Revenue Tops VND 379 Trillion; Authorities Flag Gold Smuggling Risks

Vietnam’s cross-border trade cooled slightly in October 2025 but remained robust overall, with monthly turnover at US$81.49 billion (‑1.2% m/m) and a US$2.6 billion surplus. Through the first ten months of 2025 merchandise trade reached US$762.44 billion (+17.4% y/y), with exports near US$391 billion (+16.2%) and imports US$371.44 billion (+18.6%), producing a cumulative surplus of US$19.56 billion. Foreign‑invested enterprises continue to anchor trade performance, accounting for roughly 75–80% of export values and the bulk of imports; high‑tech export lines such as phones (‑11.8% m/m) and computers/electronics (‑5.5%) weakened while footwear and wood products showed gains.

Customs revenue rose to VND379.816 trillion through October (92.4% of the annual plan; +9.3% y/y), with October collections of VND41.564 trillion, and broader state budget receipts reached VND2.145 quadrillion over ten months (109.1% of plan; +28.5% y/y) driven by domestic revenues and large land‑project payments. Authorities warned of elevated gold‑smuggling and illicit currency risks due to wide domestic–global price gaps, citing routes along southern borders with Cambodia and Laos and flights from Taiwan; enforcement reported over 15,000 violation cases since mid‑December 2024. The data point to continued FDI‑led trade strength and fiscal outperformance but highlight sectoral vulnerabilities (high‑tech softness) and rising enforcement challenges around precious metals and counterfeit transit abuse.

Local Coverage: vietnamplus.vn, baotintuc.vn, vneconomy.vn, com.vn, thanhnien.vn

From daily briefs: 2025-11-07, 2025-11-08, 2025-11-09, 2025-11-12

About This Weekly Digest

The stories above represent the most significant developments from Vietnam this week, selected through our AI-powered analysis of hundreds of local news articles.

Stories are drawn from our daily intelligence briefs, which synthesize reporting from Vietnam's leading news sources to provide comprehensive situational awareness for international decision-makers.