As domestic and global demand for new ships continues to rise, Vietnam's shipbuilding industry has significant potential for growth.

Vietnam's shipbuilding industry is poised to capitalise on numerous opportunities arising from favorable macroeconomics and global market trends.

A bulk carrier with the capacity of 65,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT), the largest ever built by a Vietnamese company, has completed sea trials and is ready to start operations from the northern port city of Hai Phong.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on March 19 emphasised that Vietnam will create favourable conditions for the business community, including Dutch corporations and businesses, to invest successfully, sustainably, and long-term in Vietnam when he received a Dutch business delegation led by Ingrid Thijssen, chair of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) in Hanoi.

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding companies of the Republic of Korea, said on December 12 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding on human resources development for the shipbuilding sector with the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

According to a report of the Mineral Commodity Summaries announced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), Vietnam leads shipbuilding in Southeast Asia and holds the 6th position globally.

Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai, two out of the “Big Three” shipbuilders of the Republic of Korea (RoK), are looking to Vietnam to secure workers amid the Korean industry's lingering workforce shortage, according to industry officials.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong led a delegation to visit Damietta province on November 22-23 with the aim to promote cooperation in terms of economy, trade, investment and culture between Vietnam and Egypt in general and localities of the two countries in particular.

Being unable to recruit skilled workers, some shipbuilding businesses currently have to hire seasonal workers, which has cost them time to provide training and greatly affected their business plans.

The economic, trade and investment relations between Vietnam and Norway have reaped positive outcomes in recent time, according to Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh.

Vietnam is keen to cooperate with Norway in marine and ocean economy, including issues related to plastic waste, which Norway holds strengths in, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said while hosting Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Lochen in Hanoi on May 14.

Visiting Micronesian Speaker of the Congress Wesley W. Simina expressed his wish to learn experience from the northern city of Hai Phong in boosting industrial growth.

The Belgian Vietnamese Alliance (BVA) and the Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT) held a meeting on May 3 with a delegation of Belgian businesses ahead of the delegation’s visit to Vietnam from May 13-18 to explore cooperation opportunities.

The International Exhibition on Shipbuilding, Shipping and Offshore Technology (Vietship 2018) will return for the 9th edition at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi from January 24-26.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan welcomed mining group Alcoa and ship-builder Austal to invest in Vietnam during her meeting with the two companies’ executives in Perth on December 1.

Vietnam’s President Tran Dai Quang and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi exchanged specific measures to enhance the bilateral cooperation in wide-ranging fields during their talks in Hanoi on September 6.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim left Hanoi on August 24 afternoon, concluding his three-day official visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Trade between Vietnam and Egypt could develop strongly from the current annual level of 400 million USD if the two sides make good use of cooperation opportunities.

As part of their trip to Russia, President Tran Dai Quang, his spouse and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam on July 1 visited Saint Petersburg which is considered as the “northern capital city” of Russia.

The central province of Thua Thien – Hue has released a decision to allocate more than 4.96 billion VND to assist fishermen in offshore fishing.