Vietnam’s National Wage Council has announced that the regional minimum wage may rise by 6.5 per cent in 2018 to VND180,000-230,000 ($8-10) a month following a consensus reached between employer and labour representatives. The rate will be submitted to the government for approval. Minimum wage in the nation is determined regionally and on a per month basis.

The Vietnamese textile and apparel industry attracted more than $750 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first six months of 2017, mostly from investment capital increases in existing projects, despite a reduced number of FDI projects in recent years and the US withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) last January.

Over 40 of Vietnam’s manufacturers and resources will be at the forefront of the Sourcing at Magic show, which takes place this August. Show attendees will have the opportunity to see textiles, fibres, and garments from these Vietnamese factories, and talk with their representatives. The show chose Vietnam as their focus country because of the country’s rapid growth in export manufacturing, organisers report.

Amazon, leading online shopping channel, has the potential to become a window for Vietnamese textile and garment products to gain access to European Union market.