USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION ON VIETNAM

1. Country Brief:

A. Introduction -  Vietnam (Vietnamese: Việt Nam), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost nation on the Indochina Peninsula. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. On the country's east coast lies the South China Sea. With a population of over 85 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies; according to government figures, GDP growth was 8.17% in 2006, the second fastest growth rate among countries in East Asia and the fastest in Southeast Asia.

B. Climate -  Vietnam has a very diverse climate because its land mass stretches over many degrees of longitude and its terrain varies from low lying coastal plains to 4000 meter mountain peaks. The North: Cold season is between November and April with average temperatures of 16C or 61F - it is often wet and chilly. In the dry season, between May and October, the average temperature is about 30C or 86F.

Central Vietnam: The climate varies from the coastal plain to the central highlands. This region tends to be warmer and more humid than the south in the middle of the year and cooler during the dry season from November to June.

The South: The temperatures in the south are fairly constant all of the year, ranging between 25 - 30C or 77 - 86F. The dry season is from November to April and the wet season from May to October.

From July to November, strong and unpredictable typhoons can hit some of the coastal regions of Vietnam with sometimes devastating results.

C. Geographical Area - 125,622 sq mi (325,361 sq km); total area: 127,244 sq mi (329,560 sq km)

D. Language - Vietnamese

E. Currency With Exchange Rate – (Vietnam Dong)1.00 VND = 0.0000616219 USD

F. Population - 85,262,356

G. Major Cities - Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Da Nang, Nha Trang,

2. Transportation:

A. Railway - total: 2,600 km (2006).

B. Road - total: 222,179 km km; paved: 42,167 km; unpaved: 180,012 km (2004 est.).

C. Airports - 32 (2006).

D. Waterways - 17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable at all times by vessels up to 1.8 m draft.

E. Sea ports - Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau.

3. Economy:

A. Major Manufacturing - 

B. Major Export - $19.88 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.). Commodities: crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments, shoes , pepper

C. Major Import - $22.5 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.). Commodities: machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles

D. Major Industry - food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building; mining, coal, steel; cement, chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, paper.

E. Trade balance -

4. Trade Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Trade shows and Exhibitions in:Vietnam

Major Trade Associations

Chambers of Commerce

Major Trade Shows

Auto World Vietnam

Start Date  13-SEP-07 End Date  16-SEP-07

Venue - Phu My Hung International Exhibition Center

City / State - Ho Chi Minh City,Ho Chi Minh

Country – Vietnam

Event Profile:

Auto World Vietnam is an opportunity for domestic and oversea investors, manufacturers, businessmen in this field to join into this strong potential market.

Organizer:

Vietnam National Trade Fair & Advertising Company, VINEXAD
No. 9, Dinh Le-Hoan Kiem,
Ha Noi, Vietnam.
Tel: +(84)-(4)-8264668
Fax: +(84)-(4)-9342254

5. Useful links:

Vietnam Importers, Dealers of Japanese Used Cars, Construction Machinery & Auto Parts