Vietnam News Today (Sep. 25): Latin America Among Most Important Markets For Vietnam

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh calls at Embraer S.A., a Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation, in Sao Paolo.

PM encourages aviation cooperation with Embraer S.A.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 23 made a field trip to Embraer S.A., a Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation, in Sao Jose dos Campos city, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, as part of his ongoing official visit to Brazil.

Formed in 1969 in Sao Jose dos Campos, Embraer S.A. designs, manufactures, and sells commercial, military, executive, and agricultural aircraft, as well as providing leasing and aviation support services. It is the third largest producer of civil aircraft after Boeing and Airbus, and the leading provider of regional jets worldwide.

Embraer S.A. has delivered five aircraft E190s to budget airline Bamboo Airways of Vietnam.

Receiving Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the corporation’s president and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto highly appreciated the potential of the Vietnamese market, which is suitable for the corporation’s available aircraft lines, cited VOV.

He expressed his hope that Embraer S.A. would continue to receive support from the Vietnamese Government in seeking cooperation opportunities and expanding its market share in Vietnam. He affirmed that the corporation is ready to deploy aircraft maintenance and repair services in Vietnam, as well as providing technology solutions in the aviation industry.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh for his part briefed his host on the rapid development of the aviation market in Vietnam in recent times, with several airlines licensed to operate frequently to meet the increasing demand for trade exchanges, tourism services and people to people exchanges.

He highly valued Embraer S.A.’s development strategy, and proposed that the corporation expand cooperation and investment to develop its business ecosystem in Vietnam.

Besides increasing cooperation with Vietnamese airlines and providing aircraft maintenance and repair services, the corporation should engage in human resources training for the aviation industry, support Vietnam with technology solutions to help improve aerial management capacity, increase automation, support forecasting and prevent risks in flight management activities, suggested the PM.

Vietnamese PM starts official visit to Brazil

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam arrived at Sao Paulo International Airport around the noon of September 23 (local time), starting an official visit to Brazil from September 23 to 26 at the invitation of the country’s President Lula da Silva.

During the trip, PM Chinh and President Lula da Silva are scheduled to have talks, hold a joint press conference, and witness the signing and handover of cooperation documents between the two countries. The Vietnamese leader will also have meetings with leaders of the National Congress of Brazil, the parliamentary friendship group of the South American country, some local political parties and friendship organisations, and the state of Sao Paulo.

He will also visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil, meet with the Vietnamese community here, open a photo exhibition on late President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam, attend a business forum between the two countries, and receive executives of some leading Brazilian enterprises.

The visit is expected to set up new orientations for promoting the Vietnam - Brazil comprehensive partnership and identify concrete cooperation projects and areas, thereby developing bilateral relations, especially in economy, trade and investment, in a substantive and effective manner.

Later the same day, PM Chinh visited the Embraer aerospace company in Sao Jose dos Campos city of Sao Paulo, according to VNA.

PM Pham Minh Chinh is welcomed at Sao Paulo International Airport of Brazil on September 23. (Photo: VNA)

Embraer President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto gave the Vietnamese leader an introduction of his firm, which is the world’s third largest producer of commercial aircraft, after Boeing and Airbus, and strong at manufacturing under-130-seat planes. In Vietnam, it has handed over five E190 aircraft to Bamboo Airways.

He highly valued the potential of the Vietnamese market, which is suitable for existing aircraft models of Embraer.

Neto expressed his hope for the Vietnamese Government’s continued support for Embraer to seek cooperation opportunities and expand its market in the country, adding that the group is ready to implement aircraft maintenance and repair services in and provide aerospace technological solutions for Vietnam.

Highlighting the fast development and potential of Vietnam’s aviation sector, PM Chinh held that the new-generation aircraft models of Embraer could be a solution helping Vietnamese airlines concurrently expand their fleets and ensure flight efficiency and safety.

He said he believes in a bright future of aviation cooperation between the two countries, asking Embraer to expand collaboration and investment to develop its business ecosystem in Vietnam.

The Government leader suggested the group discuss cooperation and business chances with Vietnamese airlines, consider providing aircraft maintenance and repair services, participate in the training of aviation manpower in Vietnam, provide technological solutions for the Southeast Asian country to improve the aviation governance capacity, increase automation, and help with the forecasting and prevention of aviation-related risks.

On September 23 evening, PM Chinh had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese communities in Brazil and nearby South American countries.

Two Royal New Zealand Navy ships dock at Saigon port on goodwill visit

Two auxiliary ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy - HMNZS Aotearoa and HMNZS Te Mana – docked at Saigon Port in Ho Chi Minh City on September 24 on a goodwill visit to mark 48 years of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and New Zealand.

The visit aims to further strengthen the friendly and close relationship between the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Vietnam People’s Navy.

During their five-day stay, officers and sailors will take part in various activities, including exchanges and meetings between the two navies, sports friendlies and community activities, VOV reported.

HMNZS Aotearoa of the Royal New Zealand Navy has docked at Saigon Port, Ho Chi Minh City, on September 24.

All the crewmembers of the two ships are very excited to learn about Vietnamese culture and people, as well as to share New Zealand culture with Vietnamese friends, according to Rear Admiral James Gilmour, commander of the Joint Forces New Zealand.

The visit of the two ships comes following the successful visit to New Zealand in July 2023 by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Minister of National Defense of Vietnam.

The two countries are expected to hold talks on defense cooperation in early 2024.

Latin America among most important markets for Vietnam: official

Latin America is always one of the most important markets for Vietnam, an official of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) told the recent Vietnam International Sourcing 2023.

Over the past years, trade and investment relations between Vietnam and Latin America have continually developed and expanded, said Ta Hoang Linh, Director of the MoIT’s European - American Market Department, at the event, held in Ho Chi Minh City from September 13 to 15.

He cited statistics showing that bilateral trade doubled to US$23 billion in 2022 from US$14.2 billion in 2018. It stood at US$13.4 billion in the first eight months of 2023, down 14% from a year earlier.

Despite the fall during January - August, it is encouraging that the decline has recently slowed down compared to the first months of the year. Particularly, the eight-month trade with some markets has posted year-on-year increases, signalling the recovery of Vietnam - Latin America trade, he went on.

Notably, aside from the biggest Latin American markets like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile, many others in the region such as Panama, Colombia, and Peru have also recorded impressive growth in trade with the Southeast Asian nation in recent years.

Considering Vietnam’s trade relations, Latin America is always one of the most important markets, Linh said. He added that it is not only a potential importer of Vietnam’s strong products such as textiles-garments, leather-footwear, farm produce and fisheries products, but also a supplier of important materials like corn, soya bean, and animal feed for the country’s manufacturing industries.

Companies of Vietnam and Latin American countries seek partnership chances at at business matching event of Vietnam International Sourcing 2023. (Photo: VNA)

A representative of the Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Chile said the Vietnam - Chile Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), have provided mechanisms for Vietnam to step up exporting goods, including many entitled to zero tariffs, to Chile.

Chile is currently the third largest destination of Vietnamese goods in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico, the representative said.

Meanwhile, Tatiana Prazeres, Secretary of Foreign Trade at the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, noted her country is the biggest trading partner of Vietnam in Latin America.

In 2022, bilateral trade rose 6.5% year on year to 6.78 billion . That consisted of US$2.24 billion in Vietnam’s exports to Brazil, down 1.3%, and US$4.55 billion in imports, up 10.8%, VNA reported.

The trade turnover reached US$3.86 billion during the first seven months of 2023, down 7.5% from a year earlier, comprising US$1.47 billion in Vietnam’s exports (up 14%) and 2.39 billion in imports (down 17.1%), data show.

Vietnam’s main exports to Brazil include mobile phones and components, computers, electronic devices and components, machinery and spare parts, vehicles, steel, and footwear. Meanwhile, the Southeast Asian nations mainly imports ores and minerals, cotton, animal feed and materials, soya bean, corn, timber and wood products, and garment and footwear materials from the Latin American country, according to Prazeres.

Linh said there remains much room for Vietnamese enterprises to boost cooperation with Latin America, but they need to take methodological and professional steps.

They should identify potential products for each market, work to meet quality standards, and distribute goods via retail networks of Latin American countries, he recommended.

Nguyen Manh Cuong, a representative of the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association, noted that since 2024, some Latin American countries will begin enforcing regulations on imports of genetically modified products. This is a chance for producers and suppliers of clean farm produce to grow shipments to Latin America.

Hong Kong auctioneer to put painting by renowned Vietnamese painter up for sale

A never-before-seen painting by celebrated Vietnamese artist Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980) will be offered at Bonhams Southeast Asian Modern and Contemporary Art on October 4.

Le Collier (The Necklace), carrying an estimate of HK$2,500,000 – 4,000,000 (US$320,000 - 511,000), was formerly in the private collection of Federico Möller de Berg (1899-1991), a renowned Uruguayan sculptor who acquired it directly from Thu in 1948 – the year the two artists first met in Paris.

Federico studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumiére and belonged to a circle of artists who shared and admired each other’s works. It was there Federico came across Thu’s paintings.

Fascinated by Thu’s art and the tenderness in which he approached his subjects, Federico later exchanged his two sculptures for Thu's paintings, and one of the two pieces was Le Collier. The work remained in Federico’s personal collection and was brought back to Uruguay where he treasured it for the rest of his life, cited VNS.

Le Collier (The Necklace) by celebrated Vietnamese artist Mai Trung Thu (1906-1980)

The painting portrays a white-dressed Vietnamese woman serenely reclining with a red beaded necklace in hand, admiring it while at the same time seemingly thinking of someone associated with it. It is a rare work of the artist not only for its size – measuring 55 x 71cm – but also the richness of the subject’s emotion, the grace in her posture, and the striking composition.

Art critic Ngo Kim Khoi said: “For those with an affection for Vietnamese art, in particular the silk paintings of Mai Trung Thu, this young woman's pure beauty within the canvas is bound to leave them in awe. Many may find themselves yearning to possess this masterpiece, allowing them to continue to admire its delicacy.”

Joan Yip, senior specialist of Bonhams Southeast Modern and Contemporary Asian Art, commented: “This painting has such a heart-warming story and reveals the pure admiration between two very different artists, who first met in Paris and developed a touching admiration for each other’s work. Kept privately in the collection of Federico Möller de Berg for more than 70 years, the painting is a unique work by Mai Thu and we expect a lot of interest from collectors as it comes fresh to the market on 4 October in Hong Kong.”

Mai Trung Thu was born in Kien An, in the northern city of Hai Phong, into a large and honorable family of literati.

In 1924, as the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine was established through the collaboration of the Frenchman Victor Tardieu and the Vietnamese Nguyen Nam Son, Mai Trung Thu passed the entrance exam and became one of 10 students in the first class (1925-1930).

Thu met with great success with silk painting, one of the most distinctive materials of Vietnamese painting.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectibles, collectors’ cars, and a luxury division, which includes jewelry, designer fashion, watches, wine, and whisky.

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