Vietnam news in brief - March 11

Vietnamese sailors expected to return home soon: Ambassador

The Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt and Djibouti is working hard to repatriate Vietnamese sailors whose cargo ship was hit by a Houthi missile off the coast of Yemen on March 6. According to Ambassador Nguyen Huy Dung, the sailors, including three survivors and the body of sailor Dang Duy Kien, will be brought home soon.

The three crew members had lost their passports and will get new ones in the next few days, the ambassador said on March 10.

The highlight week of Hue Festival 2024 to be held in June

Poster of Hue Festival.

The highlight week of Hue Festival 2024, with the theme "Cultural Heritage with Integration and Development", will be held from June 7 to 12, bringing together art troupes, Hue artists, and international participants with various artistic programs and community festivals, announced by the Organizing Committee of Hue Festival 2024.

The poster is mainly inspired by the restored royal patterns on the Kien Trung Palace, the Imperial Citadel of Hue.

Thai Nguyen to have US$163.3 million industrial zone

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has decided to approve the investment project of Song Cong II Phase 2 Industrial Park in Song Cong City, the Northern province of Thai Nguyen. To be invested by Viglacera Thai Nguyen JSC, the park will cost nearly VND4 trillion (US$163.3 million), of which the investor's contribution is VND598 billion (US$24.3 million). The completion period will not exceed 36 months from the date of land handover.

Steel exports rise 13% year-on-year to $1.5 billion: GSO

Total steel exports in January and February rose 13% year-on-year to $1.5 billion, according to the General Statistics Office. ASEAN countries were the biggest importers, buying a third of Vietnam’s steel products, while the European Union bought 28%, and the US 9%.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia was the biggest buyer, purchasing 120,000 tonnes of steel products from Vietnam, up 625% from a year earlier. Businessmen attribute the increase to Malaysia's growing demand for construction materials for infrastructure development.

Japanese companies to provide sustainable aviation fuel for Vietnam

Japanese industrial groups Toyo and JCG Holdings want to join Vietnam's projects to develop sustainable aviation fuel, according to a meeting between the two companies and Vietnam's Ministry of Transport last week.

The Japanese companies said three main factors that determine the sustainability of the aviation fuel industry are materials, technology, and cost. It could take them 4-6 months and about $200,000-$300,000 to study the feasibility of production and another year to develop the master plan.