Doing Business in Vietnam

Below are links to articles and downloads about “Doing Business in Vietnam” provided by AmCham members or other reliable sources of information.

Some of the files can be downloaded from our Doing Business in Vietnam Downloads Folder.

The information will be helpful during a company’s review of Vietnam as a site for sourcing operation or a factory, to provide goods or services, or otherwise as a site for doing business. The information is designed to be responsive to questions on a check list for a business development or a site-selection team.

The information provided is, of course, only a summary; however, it provides a significant amount of substantial information on which a company can rely in understanding Vietnam’s business environment, including legal, financial, property, information and communications technology infrastructure, logistics and supply chain management, etc.

Some of the information may be dated, since the laws and regulations are being revised.

“Doing Business in Vietnam”—provided by AmCham Member Companies

Setting Up and Operating in Vietnam, Russin & Vecchi, 07 Jun 2007, 59 pages. pdf file The information in this booklet will be helpful during a company’s review of Vietnam as a site for a factory, to provide a service, or otherwise as an investment venue. The authors have emphasized material that would normally be on a site selection team’s check list. While the information is only a summary, it provides a significant amount of information on which a company can rely to understand Vietnam’s legal context.

Employment Manual for Businesses in Vietnam, Russin & Vecchi, 26 Jun 2008, 59 pages. pdf file. This Employment Manual is intended to be an easy desk-top reference for the Chief Representative, the General Director, the Human Resources Manager and any person who wants a good understanding of Vietnam’s labor laws. It is designed to orient management to issues with which it must be familiar. Even though the law on each subject has considerably more depth within the Labor Code and the many implementing and companion laws, decrees and circulars, this Manual should provide the reader with a good basic understanding. However, the Manual is a guide; it is not a substitute for a comprehensive understanding of the labor laws.

Telecommunications in Vietnam, Jul 01, 2008, Russin & Vecchi

Industrial Real Estate Overview, Jul-Sep 2008, CBRE/HCMC, CBRE Vietnam (HCMC) A powerpoint presentation with maps outlining the key regions in Vietnam and the industrial real estate options there.

House ownership and land use rights for overseas Vietnamese, Russin & Vecchi

Legal Framework for Franchising in Vietnam, Russin & Vecchi, 06 Oct 2006, 8 pages.

Vietnam’s Seal of Approval, Russin & Vecchi

Vietnam’s New Law on Social Insurance, Russin & Vecchi, 06 Sep 2006

Vietnam’s Food Law, Russin & Vecchi, Sep 2006

Brief Guide to IP Law in Vietnam (18-page pdf file).

Doing Business in Vietnam: A Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Business, prepared by the U.S. Commercial Service in Vietnam

Vietnam: A guide for business and investment, prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, (pdf 5.8 MB)

Guide Book: Investing and Doing Business in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, prepared Mar 10, 2006 by the Investment and Trade Promotion Center of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee

Click here to view and download 071012 Information Packet on Economic & Political Environment, a zip file with articles by
BBC on VN Political environment.pdf
Asian Development Bank (ADB) on VN Key Indicators 6pp.pdf
AmCham Statement at the 30 May 2007 Vietnam Business Forum.pdf
World Bank (WB) VN Brief 8pp.pdf
Asian Development Bank (ADB) VN Brief 4pp.pdf

Recent Reviews of Vietnam’s Overall Investment Policy

Prime Minister’s Official Letter: Time to take stock of foreign direct investment
A situation analysis is critical for Vietnam to boost FDI. The analysis will be helpful in drawing conclusions on Vietnam’s comparative advantages and disadvantages, suitable FDI promotion strategies, especially with respect to the FDI leaving or expanding from China to the ASEAN region.

UNCTAD Investment Policy Review of Vietnam (Draft – November 2007)
Key point: The proposed new policy would shift from promoting labor-intensive, export-oriented manufacturing FDI to promoting international investment in infrastructure (electric power, transportation & distributino, telecoms, etc.) and in services, to provide higher value-added to Vietnam’s economy, including higher-income jobs for Vietnamese.

OECD Policy Framework for Investment (Executive Summary)
Key point: The Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) is a tool, providing a checklist of important policy issues for consideration by any government interested in creating an environment that is attractive to all investors and in enhancing the development benefits of investment to society, especially the poor. Click the link to access the PFI Executive Summary, as well as an OECD-MPI PFI Assessment of Vietnam’s Investment Policies (62 pages, 14 Feb 2008) and Key Findings and a Roadmap for Future Reform (6 pages, 04 Mar 2008).

Click here to view and download information and presentations at recent AmCham meetings and events, including
—comments by business association representatives at the Vietnam Business Forum, May 30, 2007
—Powerpoint presentation on Asian Trends and Vietnam’s Consumer Future.

AmCham Member Companies Can Help You Set Up and Operate in Vietnam

AmCham member firms would be happy to respond to specific questions, and are prepared to bring the information contained in online pages and downloads to the next level of detail. Read this summary of Who You Need to Know in Ho Chi Minh City and How to Find Them, then click here for a list and links to AmCham member and associate companies and their contact information for the following key business sectors:

Accounting, Auditing, and Consulting

Banking, Finance, and Insurance

Information and Communications Technology

Legal Services

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Real Estate

The Foreign Companies in Vietnam Yearbook

Foreign direct invested companies account for 40% of the industrial output and 60% of the exports of Vietnam.

The Foreign Companies in Vietnam Yearbook 2008 and CD-Rom 2008 is a researched company database of major international companies in Vietnam. A unique Vietnamese companies directory, the Foreign Companies in Vietnam Yearbook database provides hard-to-find information on this growing emerging market. The Vietnam database features 1475 fully researched, senior executive contacts and top decision makers at 640 multinational companies in Vietnam, across 37 industry sectors. The Vietnam Yearbook also covers detailed international company profiles on parent company head offices worldwide.

Macroeconomic Trends and Analysis

Below are links to reports on Vietnam’s macroeconomic trends and analysis by international financial institutions (Asian Development Bank, World Bank, International Monetary Fund). Click the links to download the reports (in pdf files)

Asian Development Bank: Development Outlook, April 2008: Vietnam Section

Asian Development Bank: Development Outlook, April 2008: Full Report

World Bank: East Asia Update, April 2008: Vietnam Section

World Bank: East Asia Update, April 2008: Summary, Highlights, Links to Full Report

World Bank Report on Vietnam’s Macroeconomic Situation, June 5, 2008.

IMF Public Information Notice: Article IV Consultations with Vietnam, Dec 3-18, 2008

IMF Public Information Notice: Article IV Consultations with Vietnam, Nov 2007

IMF Country Report (No. 07-385): Selected Issues

IMF Country Report (No. 07-386): Statistical Appendix

IMF Country Report (No. 07-387): Staff Report, Supplement and Statement, etc.

Background Reading

Books that cover history, cultural and general socio-economic background. In addition, links to online handbooks/country studies with general statistical information (economics, trade, demographics) information, prepared by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, and the World Bank. Click this link.