Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc speaks at the event. (Photo: chinhphu.vn)

Recently, a series of major events were held in Hanoi to promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation, including the 9th Viet Nam-US Business Summit and the seminar “The US market 2026: Opportunities, challenges and breakthrough solutions.”

The events were jointly organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (AmCham) and the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), highlighting the strategic shift in foreign investment toward high technology. They also underscored the urgent need for Vietnamese businesses to ensure supply chain transparency when accessing the US market.

Speaking at the Viet Nam-US Business Summit, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc said that, after more than three years of implementing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, economic relations between the two countries were entering a new era of growth. Despite global volatility, Viet Nam’s economy recorded growth of 9.01% in the first nine months of 2026, attracted more than US$50 billion in registered foreign direct investment (FDI), and achieved a total import-export turnover of US$888 billion.

However, Viet Nam’s development strategy for the coming period will undergo a fundamental shift. According to the Permanent Deputy Prime Minister, in line with Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW, Viet Nam will move decisively away from attracting individual investment projects toward developing investment platforms built around industry clusters and innovation ecosystems.

Going forward, Viet Nam-US cooperation will prioritize five key areas: semiconductor technology and artificial intelligence (AI); clean energy; sustainable supply chains; innovation; and high-quality human resource development. To achieve these objectives, the Government has pledged to accelerate institutional reforms, address infrastructure bottlenecks, and shift from a management-oriented mindset to one focused on enabling and facilitating development.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc and delegates at the conference. (Photo: chinhphu.vn)

The Government leader also called on the US side to make objective and balanced assessments in trade investigations and to conclude negotiations on the reciprocal trade agreement at an early date, thereby ensuring stable market access for Vietnamese goods.

Although opportunities for cooperation are expanding, the US market is imposing increasingly stringent rules on imported goods. At a thematic seminar held the same day and organized by the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong urged domestic businesses to abandon the mindset of exporting raw materials and unprocessed goods. Instead, they should proactively build their own brands and gradually move into higher-value-added stages of production within the host market.

Recent trade developments have highlighted the tangible risks arising from changes in trade policy. However, addressing the fundamental bottleneck requires more than simply establishing transparent product origins. If Vietnamese businesses remain trapped in low-value-added processing and assembly, Viet Nam’s economy will find it extremely difficult to make a major leap forward.

Reflecting on the past 30 years, during which two-way trade turnover increased nearly 300-fold, former US Commercial Counsellor An The Dung warned that this growth has also brought risks associated with policy changes, product quality, and legal disputes. Businesses must therefore build their defensive capabilities early and exercise strict control over production processes, particularly in sensitive sectors such as food safety and hygiene.

In addition, the business community needs to conduct systematic assessments of policy risks and standardize its management processes. Proactive information disclosure and improvements in product quality are key to enabling Vietnamese goods to expand their presence and establish a firm foothold in the world’s largest market.

The Bell of Peace Rings Out from the War Remnants Museum On September 20, a programme in response to the United Nations International Day of Peace (September 21) was held at the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, with the participation of representatives from peace and friendship organisations and more than 50 international guests from the Villa Vie Odyssey community and the Global Flagship of Peace initiative. In a space preserving memories of war, the bell of peace rang out alongside a message of dialogue, understanding and a shared commitment to the future.

Viet Nam, Austria Boost Tourism Cooperation and Destination Connectivity Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Vu Le Thai Hoang emphasized that tourism cooperation between the two countries holds significant untapped potential.