The sugar industry needs to restructure to compete with rivals in other countries such as Thailand, according to the Vietnam Sugar and Sugarcane Association.
HCM City (VNA) - The sugar industry needs to restructure to competewith rivals in other countries such as Thailand, according to the Vietnam Sugarand Sugarcane Association.
Speaking at a meeting in HCM City on May 25, Pham Hong Duong, deputy chairmanof the association, said: “We need to review our internal factors to find waysto improve the sugar content in sugarcane, reduce production costs andeliminate intermediaries in the sugar distribution process.”
Sugar mills need to invest more in technologies to cut costs and improvequality, diversify their products, produce organic products or sugar productsthat are good for health, and invest in producing downstream products likesyrups, ethanol and others, he said.
"Some large sugar companies have made positive changes by focusing onimproving their productivity and investing more in developing more sugarvarieties to improve their competitiveness," Duong said.
He said the association would call on the Government to make development plansfor the sugar industry.
The association has signed memorandums of understanding with beverage companiesto sell sugar and would continue to do so in future, he said.
When the market becomes steady, so would sugar production and sugarcanecultivation, he said.
Cheap sugar smuggled in from Thailand has caused difficulties for Vietnam’s sugarand sugarcane industry in recent years.
"So the association would continue to urge relevant ministries andagencies to step up the fight against smuggling, establish technical barriersand inspect the quality of sugar in the market and tighten checks of importsostensibly meant for re-export," Duong said.
Talking about the prospects for the sugar industry this year, he said globalsugar prices have increased significantly compared to a year ago, which is apositive signal.-VNA
Vietnam’s dairy giant, Vinamilk, marked its presence in the local sugar industry by debuting the Vietnam Sugar Joint Stock Company (Vietsugar) on November 28 in the central province of Khanh Hoa’s Cam Lam district.
The tax on imported sugar, as stipulated by the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), will be maintained at 5 percent from the beginning of this year, instead of zero percent as previously rumoured.
The Vietnam Sugar and Sugarcane Association proposed to the PM not to allow an extension for temporary sugar imports for re-export as the sweet industry was struggling with high stockpiles and slumping prices due to illegally imported sugar.
The implementation of tariff reduction to zero percent under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) from January 1, is an obsession with the Vietnamese sugar industry.
Vietnam will keep its sugarcane growing area stable at 300,000 hectares until 2030 in parallel with increasing sugar output and quality, according to a plan on the sugar industry’s development until 2020 with a vision to 2030.
The new Government decree also simplifies loan procedures while expanding credit incentives to include organic and circular agriculture, allowing them to access preferential terms similar to those of high-tech and value-chain based agricultural production.
Developed with state-of-the-art infrastructure, the Da Nang FTZ is designed to become a leading regional economic centre and a strategic growth pole in Vietnam’s new development landscape.
The Binh Duong Association of Supporting Industries (BASI) is expected to promote the usage of domestically manufactured components while supporting businesses in accessing international markets, strengthening linkages, and promoting deeper integration into global supply chains.
PwC Vietnam forecasts a vibrant M&A market in Vietnam’s healthcare sector in 2025, driven by rising demand for high-quality medical services and a growing middle class. Pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals, and specialised medical facilities, particularly in ophthalmology and oncology, are predicted to be key targets for M&A.
The central province of Quang Nam is set to become a hub for the medicinal plant industry, with Ngoc Linh ginseng designated as the core crop, under the Prime Minister's decision issued earlier this year.
The North-South Expressway project is scheduled for completion by 2030, aiming to establish the groundwork for Vietnam’s modern railway industry and stimulate regional economic development, positioning the country for a significant economic leap in the era of national rise.
The probe, initiated on June 11 following a petition by the US Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood, targets products classified under HS Code 4412 and 9403 imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Sun PhuQuoc Airways was born as a perfect piece in Sun Group’s strategic vision to build a premium ecosystem of tourism, entertainment, real estate, and aviation. With a pioneering ambition, Sun PhuQuoc Airways is not just an airline, but a symbol of connection – bringing the world to Phu Quoc and taking Phu Quoc to the world.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
A farmer harvests sugar cane (Photo: VNA) 
