Vietnam, Australia expand cooperation in trade, investment, education
Vietnam and Australia are stepping up cooperation across trade, investment, and education, with new initiatives to connect localities and businesses from both sides.
Vietnamese Consul General in Sydney Nguyen Thanh Tung (Photo: VNA)
Sydney (VNA) 🌺– A seminar linking the central city of Hue, the northern province of Dien Bien, and the southern province of Tay Ninh with Australian partners was held in Sydney on August 14 to help Vietnamese enterprises promote products, explore market trends in Australia, and foster two-way business and investment ties.
Addressing the event, hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy under Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnamese Consul General in Sydney Nguyen Thanh Tung stressed the role of local-level diplomacy as a flexible and effective way to match the strengths of Vietnamese provinces with foreign partners.
He pledged that the Consulate General will act as a bridge, supporting Australian partners in connecting with Vietnamese localities in mutually beneficial sectors.
Former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski highlighted the two countries’ growing trade relationship and forecast further expansion in exports and investment.
He highlighted the importance of investment in Vietnam, especially in key areas such as technology, education, agriculture, and energy.
Representatives from Hue, Dien Bien, and Tay Ninh presented their economic advantages and sought cooperation in sectors ranging from tourism to manufacturing. Australian delegates praised Vietnam’s economic dynamism and strategic location in Southeast Asia.
Alana Kunz from the Australian Trade and Investment Commission underlined Vietnam’s importance as a political, geographic, and commercial partner, noting opportunities to deepen collaboration in energy and other high-potential industries.
Australian business leaders showed their interest in Vietnam’s energy-saving and manufacturing sectors.
Serge Popovic, Director of C-Coat Insulation Australia, said his company hopes to expand in Vietnam by partnering with local firms and potentially opening a factory.
Nigel Palmer from Business New South Wales called for greater cooperation in education, science, and innovation, building on longstanding university partnerships.
The event concluded with the signing of a cooperation agreement between Vietnam’s Phuong Nam Panel and Australia’s Pistis Group, marking another step toward stronger local and business ties under the Vietnam–Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership./.
Chien reaffirmed Vietnam’s stance on the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and early finalisation of a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
Given the rapid and complex changes in the global and regional context, Vietnam and Australia agreed to increase the exchange of views, further strengthen cooperation to cope with common challenges, accelerate the implementation of agreements, and explore new areas of cooperation.
Australia will provide an estimated 90 million AUD in official development assistance for Vietnam under the Australia–Vietnam Partnership for Economic Growth (Aus4Growth), with transport infrastructure as a priority area, she said, asking the MoC to provide updates on areas where Australia could provide support, especially in aviation and railway projects.
June saw a record-breaking 24,400 new business registrations, a 61% increase year-on-year and double the average monthly figure from 2021 to 2024. In July, another 16,500 enterprises were established, pushing the total number of new firms in the first seven months of 2025 to 107,700, an 11% rise compared to the same period last year.
With the current trading band of +/- 5%, the ceiling rate applicable for commercial banks during the day is 26,511 VND/USD and the floor rate 23,987 VND/USD.
Vietnamese products, particularly home and outdoor décor, handicrafts, fashion, gifts, and lifestyle goods enjoy ample growth potential in the EU market thanks to its strong purchasing power, diverse demand, and high market openness.
The province will prioritise attracting high-tech, green technology, semiconductor, and clean energy projects that are environmentally friendly and deeply integrated into global value chains.
Vietnam Sport Show 2025 features over 450 booths from 15 countries and territories, bringing together reputable domestic and international brands, affirming its value as an international trade promotion event in Vietnam’s sports and entertainment industry.
Mega US Expo 2025 brings together representatives from more than 30 startup support centres, research institutes, and universities and innovation support organisations from Vietnam and the RoK, helping to promote sustainable cooperation and foster incubation programmes, joint manufacturing ventures, and technology commercialisation between the two nations.
According to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), the process involved validating and updating more than 120.9 million individual records and over 1.2 million organisational accounts with biometric data obtained through chip-based ID cards or VNeID e-identification platform, ensuring 100% coverage for active digital payment accounts.
The People's Committee of the central province of Gia Lai on August 13 approved the investment policy for the first phase of Phu My port project, worth over 6 trillion VND (228 million USD), aiming at shaping up an industrial – sea port hub in the coming time.
While the US's new tariff policies have placed certain Vietnamese exports under pressure, the changes are also prompting companies to rethink strategies, diversify markets, and break free from over-reliance on any single destination.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) backed a sweeping plan to transfer all international flights from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City to Long Thanh International Airport in Dong Nai province.
FDI inflows into Vietnam remain highly positive despite external headwinds, affirmed Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang. He underlined Vietnam’s targeted FDI strategy, political stability, favourable investment environment, and strong positioning.
The HNX-Index maintained an upward trend throughout July, closing at 266.34 points, up 16.19% from the previous month. This was its highest close in July.
The 2026 Vietnam Motor Show is expected to take place at the Vietnam National Exposition Centre in Hanoi's Dong Anh. This venue offers over 900,000 square metres of space, including approximately 304,000 square metres of indoor exhibition halls, promising a considerably larger scale than previous editions.
Vietnam’s average export price for rice currently stands at 514 USD per tonne. Although this is lower than in recent years, it remains higher than that of other suppliers, he said, noting that the global rice market is experiencing oversupply.
Foreign investment made up 2.4 billion USD of the total, with 133 new foreign-invested projects registering over 1 billion USD, and 106 existing projects recording capital increases totalling 1.33 billion USD.
In its article published on August 13, AP wrote “Vietnam aims to get rich by 2045 and become Asia’s next “tiger economy” - a term used to describe the earlier ascent of countries and territories like the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Taiwan (China).
Vinh Long hopes 4B Plus Pty Ltd will serve as a bridge to facilitate access for its key agricultural products to the Australian market in the coming time.
This collaboration allows VinFast customers to access a network of over 1 million public charging points across 24 countries through the VinFast app, offering a seamless and convenient charging experience throughout Europe.
By the end of 2024, Vietnam had nearly 74,000 active digital technology enterprises, up 10.1% year-on-year. Total revenue of the information and communications sector was estimated at 166.7 billion USD, an increase of 13.2% compared to 2023.
