Monday, October 29, 2012

WHY VIETNAM?

WHY VIETNAM?
Vietnam has proved to be the fastest and most promising growing economy in the whole South East Asian region over the last twenty-five years.

Despite being governed by a communist party, which might scary some foreign investors, from 1986 on Vietnam has developed a significant number of open-trade reforms, boosting the export sector and generating a flourishing ground of private enterprises.

From the late ’80s until the late 2000s, average GDP growth had settled at abt. 7-8 % for each year.
Still, after the 2008 crisis and last years’ world economy reduction, Vietnam could hold a growth of above 5% per year.

Vietnam is one of the World’s most opened economies, where two-way trade accounts for more than 165% of GDP, the double than China and fourth times India.
Main trade partners countries are both from the Asia/Pacific region (China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia) as well as the USA, Germany and Australia.

Vietnam is member of WTO since 2007 and member of ASEAN since 1995.

AGRICULTURE
Although witnessing a relevant increase in the industrial production, Vietnamese agricultural products still accounts for a relevant 20% of the country’s GDP, with most of its production being exported.

Vietnam is today:

World’s #1 exporter of Robusta Coffee Beans
World’s #3 exporter of Coffee Beans, exporting over 1.2 million tons /y

World’s #1 exporter of Pepper, with over 120,000 tons /y

World’s #2 exporter of Rice, with abt. 7 million tons /y

World’s #5 producer of Natural Rubber, with over 700,000 tons /y

World’s #5 exporter of Frozen Fish, with over 5 billion USD of export /y


Agriculture still is the biggest sector in term of population, with almost 70% inhabitants still residing in rural areas.
The Mekong Delta sub-region (where Rice and Coconut are produced) is the first Area in the World for percentage of land used for permanent crops, standing at abt. 7% of total land area.


DATA
Vietnam is the 56th country in the World for national GDP.
The production of crude oil is abt. 400,000 barrels per day.
Literacy rate is above 90% and school enrollment is one of the highest in the World,
while life expectancy is 75 year, which stands above South East Asia / Pacific average.
Urban population is abt. 32% having increased by 100% in the last 10 years,
while poverty rate is 14%, decreased by 50% over the same period.

Data about the exported goods by sector can be found here: 
http://www.gso.gov.vn/default_en.aspx?tabid=472&idmid=3&ItemID=13213.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

WPB Week No 42/12, 15 - 19 October 2012 BLACK PEPPER India, Sri Lanka, Brazil Indonesia, Vietnam

WPB Week No 42/12, 15 - 19 October 2012
BLACK PEPPER
The price remained firm with limited activity. However price decreases were recorded in some source during the week. In India, The market remained calm, with limited activities as reflected in the volume of trade recorded in the Commodity Exchange. Average prices of Malabar, Sarawak and Sri Lankan black were relatively stable, with a slight decrease in the mid of the week. In Lampung, major portion of pepper harvested this year has been released, as reflected by significant increase in the volume of export from Lampung during the last three months. Local price of black pepper in Lampung experienced a marginal decrease this week. Price decrease was also recorded in Vietnam both in local as well as in fob. It was reported that Brazilian pepper crop this year would be much lower than estimated earlier. Smaller crop in June/July in Espirito Santo has already confirmed the decrease. In Para, pepper harvest is almost competed. It was reported that the harvest period is very short this year. This indicates the quantity of pepper produced this year is small. Prices in Brazil remained steady. Growers were not interested to sell at reduced prices, in view of smaller output.

WHITE PEPPER
Pepper prices in Bangka, Sarawak and Vietnam decreased marginally, except local price of Sarawak, which is reported stable.

EXPORT OF PEPPER FROM INDONESIA
Indonesia has become the second largest pepper producing and exporting country in the world. Black pepper is mostly produced in Lampung, while white pepper in Bangka. Kalimantan and Sulawesi are also producing black and white pepper. Around 90% of black pepper exported by Indonesia was shipped from Lampung port. Due to the favorable weather condition during flowering, fruiting till ripening season, production of pepper in Lampung, which is harvested in July-August 2012, is reportedly much better than production in 2011. This was confirmed by the significant increase in the volume of export from Lampung port during the last three months. During January – September 2012, total export of black pepper from Lampung was 26,800 mt, as against 18,200 mt in the corresponding period last year. Out of this 18,500 mt was exported in July- September. Up to December 2012 around 35,000 mt of black pepper export from Lampung is expected to be achieved.
 

Pepper trade - Brazilian Peppertrade Board - Weekly Update 2012

Pepper trade - Brazilian Peppertrade Board - Weekly Update 2012